Pull Them Into The Darkness
by DarkFyre98
Summary: Kage Okinawa is starting another year at Karakura High School when suddenly his whole world is torn to pieces by the sudden appearance of a monster and a man in a black robe. This is just the beginning of his journey, where will it lead? This is my first bleach fic. Sorry I'm terrible at these. :/ Just read please! And review (please im begging here) :) Chapter 9 is up! :D
1. Chapter 1: A Warm Autumn's Night

A/N: Hey guys! This is my first bleach fic so it's appreciated if you could read the chapter and point out any mistakes, grammar, spelling etc. So please read and enjoy and please no flames!

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14 year old Kage Okinawa woke up with a jolt of terror, sweat beading on his forehead and and glistening in his black hair. He had been having a bad dream, about that day when his life had changed. He shuddered, trying to get it out of its head. In order to distract himself from morbid thoughts he turned his head towards his window, staring out at the glowing street lamp. The night was warm and so the window of the room was open and even though school started in a few days, the weather was still surprisingly good. A warm breeze rolled in the window carrying with it the smells of the dark town. The night seemed calm but something was off, just not quite right.

He could hear it again, the tortured screams that only he noticed, floating on the calm night wind. He had been hearing them more and more recently, and he had even talked to his foster parents about it, wondering if there was something wrong with his hearing. But they just told him he was overreacting and it was probably just the wind. Lying back in his bed, he tied to convince himself that that was all it was, the wind. He shook himself, hoping he would be able to physically rid himself of the mental stress, and then curled up under the white sheets on his bed. He had just about convinced himself it was just the wind when he heard another roar, closer this time. The teen sat bolt upright in his bed and stared out the window, searching, the reflection of his bright blue eyes scaring him slightly before he realised they were his. There was a dense atmosphere in the air now, it felt like someone had placed a heavy duvet over his head and he couldn't seem to find a way to get out.

The teen continued to stare out of his window, fearful now. There was a slight shimmer in the air outside and out of pure instinct Kage flung himself off his bed, just as a huge crater was blasted in his wall and his bed crushed. It look as if it had been grabbed by a giant hand.

He knelt in the corner of his room trembling, utterly shocked. Something dripped down his cheek onto the floor and he noticed he had been cut by a stray shard of glass. It stung a little but he just wiped away the blood. It wasn't so much the pain that perturbed him though, it was the fact that he had been cut, that this was really happening.

_"What the hell is going on" _he asked himself, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he knelt on the floor of his room, surrounded by rubble. The pressure was so heavy now he was rooted to his hiding spot in the far corner of his room. And then there was a roar, right outside and another section of the wall collapsed. Kage was shaking now immobilized by this great pressure. He could see the outline of it now, a great hulking monster.

There was a knock on his door and it was opened a crack.

"Kage? Are you alright?" asked his 11 year old sister Sakura timidly. Kage went to shout to her to get away, to run from here and get as far away as possible but no sound came from his mouth. He tried to shout and scream, anything, any noise, just to let her know something was wrong bu no sound left his lips. She tip-toed into the room, weaving in and out of the rubble, her long black hair glinting in the moonlight, and located Kage.

"Kage, are you ok? What happened? What's going on" she asked , shocked by the sight of her brother cowering in fear in his destroyed room. How could she not feel it? That overwhelming, all consuming pressure that threatened to crush every fibre of his being.

"_Run! Get away from here!" _ he mentally screamed. But she stayed kneeling beside Kage, shaking him and trying to break him from his trance. And then the air shimmered and Sakura was lifted off her feet and yanked from the room and out onto the street.

"AAAAAAHHHHH" she screamed, as she hung metres above the street below. "Kage help me!" she cried. It wrenched at Kage's heart, hearing his sister scream like that, seeing tears of fear drip down her cheeks. . It reminded him off that night, that dreadful night when everything changed.. His last blood relative, in danger just because he couldn't stand up. Just because he wasn't strong enough.

"Sakura!" he roared, pushing against the pressure. "Don't worry Sakura I'm coming" shouted the dark haired boy as he managed to get to his feet. He wouldn't let it happen again, wouldn't let another one of his loved ones go just because he was too weak. Knees quivering slightly he remained standing. Sweat from the exertion, dripping down his face, mixing with the blood from his cheek. He could see it clearer now, the monster. It was at least 6 metres tall and had four bulging arms, one of which was currently holding his sister above the street as it inspected his prey.

_"No one, no thing treats my sister like that" _he thought, filling with rage. Kage noticed his hunting knife lying in the rubble which he subsequently grabbed.

The monster had noticed him now and a second arm shot out and grabbed him. Kage flew though the air but he managed to stab the monsters hand and it let out a roar of pain and dropped him to the ground. Kage managed to haul himself back onto his feet and he began running towards the monster. His view of the monster was improving second by second and he was getting more used to the crushing pressure.

"_What the hell is this thing" _ he thought fearfully. Then he caught sight of Sakura again and his fear was replaced by anger. _"I've gotta save her"._ He reached the bottom of the monsters tree trunk sized leg and plunged his knife into it. He kept moving and stabbing, moving and stabbing. The tortured scream was constant now, becoming like background music to this play of blood and fear. And then the curtains were closed and Kage received a rib breaking kick from the monster, sending him flying back into the wall of his house.

"KAGE!" his sister screamed. The boy doubled over in pain, spitting up blood. He tried to stand but his legs gave way, a sharp pain shooting through his right leg. He could only watch in horror as the grey monster brought his sister towards its white face, opening its jaws wide, her black hair blowing in the wind.

"Sakura..." he whispered, his vision fading fast. And then the monster erupted in a cloud of its own blood and it evaporated into thin air. His sister fell, unconscious now, she had passed out from fear. An orange haired man caught her and laid her gently on the ground. He was dressed in black robes and held a giant sword the length of his body like it weighed nothing. He looked around 18 or 19 and had an air of power about him. Kage had seen him before, he just couldn't place him. The man disappeared and reappeared above Kage.

"_What the...?"_ he thought, bewildered at how he moved like that.

"That was quite a fight you put up back there kid" he said, with a touch of mirth in his voice and a smirk on his face. "But its over now, she's safe and I'm gonna get you to a hospital, so let go and take a nap" he said kindly.

"_A nap? That does sounds like a good idea"_ Kage thought happily. He was really tired now that he thought of it. "Thank you..." Kage managed to croak quietly, and then it all went black.

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A/N: So thats the first chapter :) Thanks for taking the time to read it, and i hoped you enjoyed it :D I know it was kinda short but I felt that was a good place to end it. Please leave a review and more will be coming soon! Also if you're a fan of halo feel free to check out my other fic :) And please no flames!


	2. Chapter 2: The Kurosaki Clinic

Kage opened his eyes, straining against the bright lights. He could hear a steady beeping in the background that was really irritating him.

_"Why are my lights on and what the hell is that beeping?" _he thought to himself, confused. His vision began to clear and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was lying in a raised bed in a clean, white room that smelt of disinfectant and stale air. There were machines beside his bed which he recognised from T.V, monitoring all his vitals. There was also an i.v drip attached to the vein at my wrist and he felt bandages wrapped around his cheek.

_"Why am I in a hospital room?" _he contemplated, really confused now. He sat up and felt an excruciating pain in his ribs on the right side. He let out a cry of pain and collapsed back on his bed. Then the last nights events came back to him all in a rush. He broke out in a cold sweat. He had so many questions. The man, the monster, was his sister ok?

"Sakura!" he shouted as he slid out of bed. He ignored the pain in his ribs but didn't expect the pain to shoot through his right leg as it gave way beneath him and he collapsed on the cold, tiled floor. _"Crap" _ he forced himself to stand, leaning on the bed for support. He started slowly shuffling forward, pain slicing through the lower half of his right leg with every step he took. At the end of the bed he braced himself and let go of the bed, pain travelling all along his leg now due to the full weight of his body on his leg. He let out a moan but kept walking. At the door of the room he pulled off the pads and ripped out the i.v drip with a grunt. Suddenly, the beeps were going mad, but Kage just kept walking. He could hear the shuffle of hurried feet coming from down the hall. He kept walking, his black hair dripping with sweat from the exertion.

"Where is she …" he muttered to himself. A short, brown haired nurse appeared at his side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry she said, but you really shouldn't be out of bed. You're in no shape to be walking around." she stated in a kind, but slightly annoyed voice. On closer inspection, she looked around Kage's age.

"Where is she?" Kage asked, with a hint of anger.

"Who are you talking about?" she asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"My sister, Sakura, where is she?" he repeated vehemently, giving the stout woman an angry gaze.

"J-j-just down the hall on the right" she said apologetically, practically quaking under the teens stern stare. He muttered a quick thanks and limped off down the bare, white hall, one hand on the cold wall for support.

"You should really go back to bed though" she continued, placing a hand on the teens shoulder once again. He shrugged off her shoulder and continued his arduous journey down the hallway. She continued to pester him the whole way down the hallway. After what seemed like a lifetime, he finally reached the door on the right. He was dripping sweat now as he pushed open the heavy fire door with what felt to be an inhuman effort. He stumbled into the room, nearly identical to his own. His sister looked up from a book she was reading and a smile split her young face when she saw her older brother. The man by her bed looked up, with a mixture of happiness and worry on his face.

"Kage!" she said with joy. Kage stood there for a view moments just looking at his sister, making sure she was real.

"Good, you're ok..." he mumbled happily, before falling onto the ground, his last reserves of strength leaving his worn body.

"KAGE!" he heard his sister cry distantly and the sound of running feet as the man rushed to help him. He didn't pay attention to that though, he was just relieved his little sister was ok. Then everything went black again.

* * *

Kage woke up, now used to waking up where he didn't expect to be. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the bright light and he noticed he was back in the same room. He was plugged into the machines again and the bandages were still on his cheek coupled with a new cast around his leg, but he had no i.v drip in his arm he noticed.

He looked around and saw his foster mum, Akira Iwate, asleep in a chair beside his bed. Her long blonde hair fell over to one side, covering have of her lightly tanned face, as she had fallen asleep on her while leaning on her arm.

He studied the woman, who was his legal guardian. She and her husband, Ryuu(the man in Sakura's room. Kage hadn't recognised him as he was very tired at the time), had taken him and his sister in four years ago when the 'accident' had happened. They were good friends of his parents, his Mother and Akira had been like sisters. Akira and Ryuu had been like his auntie and uncle when the siblings had been small. So adjusting to life with the Iwate's had not been too difficult, though dealing with the loss of their parents was another thing altogether. They didn't have children of their own, but were more than happy to accept the brother and sister into their lives.

How long had she been sitting there, waiting for him to come around he wondered. Ryuu was probably down the hall with his sister, keeping her company. Kage grinned a little at the thought of his younger sister, happy she was safe.

"Hey" he said softly as he gave Akira a gentle nudge. She stirred slowly, but when she realised it was Kage shaking her awake she leapt up and grabbed him into a tight bear hug.

"Oh my god you're ok! I was sooo worried about you!" she said quickly as she crushed him in her iron grip.

"My... ribs..." he gasped. "Please... let go.. so.. sore" Suddenly the over enthusiastic woman realised her mistake and leapt backwards, a look of horror on her face.

"I'm soo sorry, so so so sorry!" she said frantically, rhyming out sorries a-mile-a-minute. Kage tried to cut across her unstoppable torrent of apologies, but to no avail. Eventually he gave up and just sat back in his bed and waited for her to stop chattering. A few minutes later, Akira ceased the longest apology Kage had ever heard.

"It's ok", Kage said with a smirk on his face. "I'm fine, really. So what happened last night anyways? After the man found us?" he asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"Well the police were around this morning and said it was a gas explosion" she said, worriedly. "And then we got a call from the hospital in the middle of the night that you and Sakura had been checked in at the hospital and that you were seriously injured! We were so worried about you we didn't even get dressed." she said with a laugh, as Kage noticed she was still clad in her chappy pyjamas, slippers and dressing gown. " And as for that man you were talking about, he must've brought you here. I don't know how we slept through it all though!" she exclaimed.

"_Gas explosion.. Did I imagine it all?" _he wondered. Yes he must have imagined it he decided. _"But still.. It seemed so real.. And that pressure.." _ he kept becoming more and more unsure.

"Hello ? Anyone home?" Akira said, waving his hand in front of the boy's face. He snapped back to reality and shook himself.

"Sorry just phased out a little there" he said with a forced chuckle. "Gas explosion, that's crazy right?" he said with another forced laugh. "So how's Sakura?" he asked.

"She's fine, in a much better state than you anyways" Akira said with a chuckle. "I brought some of your stuff with us. The police were able to recover your phone, your PSP and we got some clothes for you for when you check out." she said happily handing him a small bundle of things. " And Doctor Kurosaki said you should be back in time for the first day of school, because I know how much you'd dislike missing the first day of school." she said teasing him.

"Uuugh." the teen groaned at the thought of school as he placed the pile on the bedside table. Akira laughed at this and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I end up in a gas explosion and I don't even get out of one day of school? What has the world come to." he said jokingly.

A laugh from the door caught the pairs attention and they looked to see a black haired man with a beard and a doctors jacket standing in the doorway.

"Well its great to finally meet the patient that's been causing so much trouble when he hasn't been unconscious for once." he said with a chuckle. "My name's Doctor Isshin Kurosaki, and welcome to the Kurosaki Clinic." he said with a smile as he extended his hand for Kage to shake. Kage gladly accepted the gesture and shook it firmly.

"Thanks for everything sir." Kage said gratefully. He studied the man. He seemed quite carefree, but something about him, the way he held himself maybe, just something about him was strikingly familiar. "Have we met before?" Kage inquired.

"No I don't think we have." Isshin replied, a quizzical expression appearing on his bearded face. "But anyways, back to business. You have to broken ribs on your right side, a fracture in your tibia and some minor cuts on your face. You should be out of here by tomorrow and should be back to full strength in about 8 weeks after some physio. You'll get the cast off your legs in 6 weeks and the bandages off in a few days. Any questions?" he asked, raising his right eyebrow.

"No I think that will be all." Akira replied for Kage. The teen was about to interject, but then he realised that that was infact all. Doctor Kurosaki left the room with a curt nod and closed the door behind him.

"I think you should get some rest Kage, you look tired." Akira said with a smile. At this statement, he began to notice how tired he was. It scared him slightly, they had been living together for little over 4 years and she could read him like a book.

"Ya that's a good idea, thanks." Kage said cheerfully, before laying back and sinking into the darkness once again.

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A/N: Well that's the second chapter up :) What do you think? Let me know if you have any ideas for the storyline as any help is appreciated. At the moment I'm just trying to set the scene, and since I'm just getting into writing again I'm going to be making the chapters progressively longer. So hope you enjoyed this and please R&R, favourite, follow whatever :D


	3. Chapter 3: Karakura High

_Two days later_

"_Ding-dong," _the doorbell rang. Kage grabbed a slice of dry toast from the toaster, rushing to the hall to grab his crutches.

"_Ding-dong-ding-dong," _the doorbell chimed impatiently. The teen hiked his bag up onto his shoulders. He winced slightly as he felt a jab of pain in his ribs.

"_Ding-dong-ding-dong."_

He grabbed his crutches and headed towards the door. He was just about to reach the door when Akira appeared in front of him.

"I really need to go Akira," he stated as he tried to slide by. The blond haired woman grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Promise me you'll be alright and you won't do anything stupid."

"I'll be fine."

"Promise."

"Ok ok I promise, now let me go, Rokuro's waiting for me." The doorbell had begun to ring ceaselessly.

"Ok then," she said happily as she let him go. "Have a nice day!" she chuckled as she waved goodbye.

"Bye," he said flatly, waiting until he was out the door until breaking into a small grin. That woman could swing his mood in a matter of seconds, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of letting her know.

"Hey Rokuro." he said with a chuckle, amused as his brown haired friend stared at what must've been an odd sight, a grinning boy who had half his face obscured by bandages. He looked him up and down, noticing the crutches and a large cast on his lower leg before breaking the silence with...

"What the hell happened to you?" Rokuro asked in shock, a face of horror plastered on his tanned face.

"C'mon, I'll explain on the way." said Kage as he finished off his toast.

* * *

"Gas explosion huh? That's pretty serious." Rokuro stated at the end of the story, his face sullen. "Damn you're gonna get so much pity from girls!" he moaned a small smirk on his face, fake annoyance in his voice. Kage chuckled at this immediately cheering up.

Kage doubted very much that the one and only Rokuro Saito would have any trouble with twisting this sudden turn of events in his favour. In fact, Rokuro was quite the ladies man, with chiseled good looks and tanned skin and quite a muscular shape due to plenty of sports. He was a year older than Kage, but they were in the same year in school. He would probably pretend to be the valiant friend who helps Kage out now. He grinned at the thought, somewhat glad to be meeting up with his gang again, even if that meant returning to school.

"What's got you so happy all of a sudden," Rokuro asked as he noticed Kage smiling.

"Oh eh nothing." he said quickly, wiping his face of any emotion. They had an appearance to keep up.

"Whatever, I don't care, just don't walk around so happy in school, we wouldn't want people thinking I'm hanging out with some softie now would we?" he said with a sideways grin.

Kage chuckled and began thinking about school. He was extremely young to be going into highschool as he had skipped grade 8 in junior high school, but he was slightly worried about everyone being bigger than him. Last year, they had manage to build up a reputation and avoid trouble from the 'hard guys' as his group called them, but being so young going into highschool, he wasn't sure they'd get the same pass. He did know some people in the older years though so that might help he thought hopefully.

After a fifteen minute walk, the pair reached the school. They had five minutes left before school started, so they just decided to head for the assembly in the sports hall.

By the time they reached the hulking building, it was already bustling with people. Rokuro noticed a group of second year girls and dragged Kage over to parade him past them., with much protest from the invalid boy.

"Trust me, I'm doing us both a favour," he said under his breath. There was a teacher standing nearby and Rokuro managed to procure a seat for Kage, by having a very loud argument with the teacher about 'the injustice in the world' and 'all he wants is a seat to rest his weary body'. The group of girls watched in amazement at this inspiring and intriguing young man. Kage was sure he heard whispers of 'get his number after' and ' I wonder if he'd like me'. Rokuro sat down beside him (he'd managed to grab a chair for himself while fighting for 'justice') with a cocky grin on his face.

"You've done it again, Rokuro, you're going from strength to strength," he said aloud, complimenting himself.

"You're quite the womaniser, I'll give you that," Kage replied. He couldn't help himself grinning. He remembered now why he was friends with Rokuro. It kept things interesting.

The conversation died down as the principal walked onto the stage.

"Ahem," the short, old man coughed. "May I have your attention please." Everyone turned to face the stage, the older students phasing out already. "I would like to welcome you all to another year at this fine institution, and to especially welcome all new students." He continued to blabber about the achievements of students last year, and the pride they brought to the school, having pride in your school and generally topics which most people had no interest in whatsoever. Kage was almost asleep when he heard something he will never forget.

"On behalf of the school, I would also like to wish Kage Okinawa of first year a speedy recovery from his injuries." This statement shocked him out of his stupor and the half of his face that wasn't covered in bandages turned bright red. Every eye in the hall was on him as Rokuro was beside him dying silently with laughter.

* * *

"Oh my god, that was hilarious!" Rokuro laughed as they left the hall later, heading for their home room.

"No it wasn't," Kage replied curtly, still embarrassed by the events in the hall. Rokuro tried to say something else, but Kage just gave him his signature stern stare and he bottled up, silently laughing to himself the whole trip to their home room.

As the pair entered, every eye turned to face them. Rokuro basked in the attention but Kage just put his head down and made his way to where a friend of theirs, Rayden Hidaka, sat. He had blond hair and because of this and his name, his nickname had become 'Sparky'.

"Hey Sparky," said Kage quietly as he slid into an adjacent seat.

"Yo sparks, what's up?" asked Rokuro as he swaggered into the seat on the other side, by the window.

"Nothing much really, though I guess you have some news for me Kage."

"I suppose I do," Kage replied, grinning. He could get used to this attention he guessed.

"That's pretty crazy," said Rayden, at the end of the story. "When are the bandages coming off?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow," the black haired boy answered, as their head teacher strolled in. She walked to her desk and slammed her pile of books down on the table, causing every head in the room to whip around.

"GOOD MORNING CLASS!" the young woman shouted, her voice filled with joy. "I'm Miss Watanabe, and I'll be your class head for the year." she stated happily as she casually threw a hardback book at a boy who had turned around to talk to the person behind him. The whole class had identical expressions of shock on their faces.

"Did you see tha-" Rayden never got to finish that sentence as another book caught him square in the jaw, sending him sprawling backwards off his chair. Kage and Rokuro stiffened and turned to face the top of the class so fast they almost toppled over as well.

"If you haven't guessed, I don't tolerate any talking in my class," she stated with a happy smile on her face. The whole class just nodded slowly as Rayden picked himself back up. "Well now we've established that let's move on. I presume most of you know each other?" Everyone nodded slowly. Most of them had all attended the same junior high so it wasn't exactly hugely difficult moving up to high school (apart from the aforementioned loss of reputation).

"Well today we have a new student who has just moved from Miami in America. You can come in now!" she shouted, motioning towards the door. A girl around his age walked nervously. She was slightly smaller than him around, 5'7, and she had blond hair, blue eyes and tanned skin.

Rokuro lay back and whistled, and received a book to the face for his efforts.

"That kind of behaviour towards our new student will not be tolerated!" continued , her mood never changing from sheer happiness. "Well what's your name?"

"Eh.. My name's Taylor Tanaka.. I'm 15 years old and I'm half Japanese on my dad's side, hence the surname." she said, looking at her feet, blushing slightly.

"Well Taylor, go find a seat! I think I see one free by Mr. Cripple down there!" said the hyperactive woman, managing to shock the class again.

Taylor made her way down to the free desk and slid into the seat as she dropped her bag at her feet.

Kage studied her for a moment before plucking up the courage to introduce himself.

"Hey, my names Kage Okinawa, pleasure to meet you," he said with a smile, as he extended his hand for her to shake. She turned, and took a moment to take in his injuries. She slowly accepted his handshake.

"And my names Rokuro Saito my good lady," said Rokuro as he appeared leaning on Taylor's desk. And then another book hit him in the face.

"_Damn, how many books does she have?"_ thought Kage as Rokuro crawled back to his desk.

"Sorry about my friend there, he's quite forward," Kage said with a grin.

"Oh no don't worry," she said, returning his smile nervously.

"_God, she's hot," _Kage thought to himself, blushing slightly. "I suppose you probably get that all the time," he said cooly, amazing at how well he pulled that off. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Rayden and Rokuro's jaws hit the floor. Taylor blushed slightly at this and looked at her feet.

"No not really," she said, as she barely managed to meet his eyes. The bell went and everyone got up to leave.

"What do you have now?" Kage asked quickly as he leant on his crutches.

"Double maths, then English," she replied after checking her time table.

"Me too. Mind if I walk you?" he asked, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck.

"Eh, sure. If you can keep up ," she answered with a smirk as she turned and began walking out of the class.

"_Don't wait up," _he mouthed to his friends as he followed, not believing his luck.

He caught up to Taylor and she turned her head with a grin.

"Your pretty fast on those things," she said, chuckling.

"I try my best," he answered, returning her smile.

"So what happened to you anyways, I'm curious."

"Well..." Kage started, preparing to make the 'gas explosion' sound as heroic and epic as possible.

* * *

"Class dismissed." said the Science teacher as he closed his book and began to wipe down the whiteboard. Everyone stood, happy it was lunch time. They had an hour for lunch so they were happy to have the opportunity to take it easy for a while. Kage and Taylor got out of their seats and Taylor went to walk away, but Kage quickly tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to face him, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Well I'm guessing that you've got no one to eat lunch with have you?" he asked the young American.

"Em no, no I don't," she replied.

"Well why don't you eat with me and my friends?"

"Well.. If they don't mind.."

"Don't worry, they won't mind at all," he said with a grin.

"Well.. Ok then! Lead the way ," she answered sticking her tongue out

They made their way to the cafeteria where they located Kage's friends sitting at a table. They were all eating and laughing and Kage could see how nervous Taylor had become. She had gradually became less nervous around Kage as the day progressed, but the nervousness from this morning had suddenly returned as she began to once again stare at her feet. Kage decided to do something and introduce her.

"Hey guys, this is Taylor. She just moved from America recently and I said she could have lunch with us," said Kage as he sat down at the table beside Rayden, deliberately putting as many people as he could between Taylor and Rokuro.

"Hey.." said Taylor timidly, as she slid onto the bench beside Kage. Though his friends were slightly shocked by this newcomer, they began to introduce themselves one by one.

There was Hana Ito, a small girl for her age, with long, curly, brown hair. She was 15 years old, like most of Kage's friends. Yuki Endo (also 15), an average sized girl with straight, sandy brown hair. She had a round face and was nearly always smiling. Suzu Nakamura was a tall 16 year old with dyed purple hair, who was very 'popular' with the boy's of Karkakura. It was rumoured that her and Rokuro had a thing going on but they both denied it with great gusto. Rayden and Rokuro quickly introduced themselves and the last person to speak was Ryota Hayashi, who had just moved to Karkura last year, but had quickly become friends with them all, though he was still quite shy. He was average height with cropped, dyed blue hair and was 15 years old as well. He clammed up once he saw Taylor, not being the best at conversing with girls. The gang barely managed to coax his name out of him.

"So where in America are you from?" asked Yuki, practically beaming at Taylor.

"Miami," replied Taylor, almost as shy as Ryota.

"Oh my god that's so cool!" screamed Yuki, causing half the population of the school to turn towards their table. Everyone but Yuki buried their faces in their hands, extremely embarrassed by the screaming girl. "You've gotta come surfing with us sometime and show us your moves!" ordered Yuki enthusiastically. Yuki was practically obsessed with surfing, and to meet someone from Miami was a dream come true.

"Well I'm not really that good.." Taylor replied with staring at her lunch.

"I'm sure you're brilliant!" The lunch continued in much the same fashion until the bell went. Everyone stood up and went to their separate classes as they all had choice subjects next. Kage and Rayden headed to technology while Taylor and Hana went to art.

"Well you got lucky with that one," said Raydeen with a smirk as soon as they were out of earshot.

"I don't know what you mean, just being friendly." Kage mock protested as he stuck his tongue out at the blond haired teen. "I heard you met someone over the summer though?" Kage asked inquisitively.

"Didn't work out," replied Rayden curtly, clearly not wanting to talk about it.

"Oh right... Mind telling me who-."

"Yeah, yeah I do," cut across Rayden, bringing the topic to a close. Kage realised he had crossed a line and quickly mumbled something akin to an apology as they reached the door of the class. Rayden gave him a quick nod, accepting the apology, but still not speaking. They entered the room and sat down beside each other. You could have cut the awkwardness with a butter knife.

"_This is gonna be a long class," _Kage thought to himself.

* * *

Kage and Rokuro waved goodbye to their friends and left on their walk home. They chatted about little things, like what teachers they hated, who had got together over summer, just stuff like that. Eventually they reached Rokuro's turn and they went their separate ways. As Kage rounded the next corner, Kage noticed a familiar head of blond hair up ahead. He grinned to himself.

"Hey Taylor, wait up!" he shouted as he sped up on his crutches going as fast as he could. She turned around and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Well hello Mr. Cripple. Me thinks I have a stalker?" she said as she poked out her tongue. Kage laughed as he reached her.

"I live just up ahead so I'm heading this way anyways. Happy coincidence," he said with a wink making her laugh. "So how was your first day in Karakura High School?" he asked putting on a generic T.V presenter voice as he said the last sentence.

"It was good. Everyone seems nice, especially your friends," Taylor answered with a smile. "Thanks for introducing me by the way."

"No worries, it didn't take much effort." And so they're conversation continued, chatting about the school, America and Kage's weird friends. When they eventually reached Kage's house he was sincerely sad to say goodbye.

"Well here's my stop," he said, motioning towards his house, which was currently undergoing repairs from the 'gas explosion'.

"Oh right. I had a really nice time today," she said with a grin. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, tomorrow." Kage turned to go, but suddenly remembered something. "What's your number," he rushed out of his mouth, beginning to blush as he realised what he'd just said. She turned around, with a happy expression on her face.

"I mean.. em it's ok.. like if you don't wanna or something," he mumbled staring at his feet.

"No it's ok, I don't mind," she said as she took out a pen and paper. She scrawled her number down and handed it to him.

"Oh eh thanks," he said as he pocketed the number. Inside he was having screaming and shouting, but he managed to contain his glee and only wore a small smile. "So I'll like text you or call you later or something?" he said.

"Surprise me," she said with a cheeky grin as she turned and walked away.

"Oh right. Bye!" he shouted after her. She merely raised a hand without even looking his way. _ "She told me she didn't get any attention in America, ya right," _the teen thought to himself with a smirk, before walking into his house.

Akira watched the scene with a smile on her face, as she sipped on a steaming cup of tea.

"He's growing up so fast," she stated.

"He's a good kid," replied the white haired man sitting in the seat beside Akira. He was wearing a white coat over black robes, with a sword at his waist, also holding a cup of tea. He coughed a little bit before draining the cup. "I had better get back anyway," he said, standing up and walking to the back door.

"Well it was nice talking to you Juushiro," she said, with a sad smile.

"You too Akira," he replied before disappearing.

* * *

**A/N: Well that's the third chapter up :) What do you think? How does Akira know Ukitake :O Well I think it was the best one so far (and by far the longest). Anyways R&R, follow, favourite whatever. Any feedback is good :D **


	4. Chapter 4: The Redheaded Man

Kage stood in front of the mirror in the cold bathroom, leaning on the white sink. He reached up to the back of his head, and slowly began to unfurl the bandages. As he unwrapped the white strips, they revealed a long scar leading from the corner of his right eye right down to his chin. The skin still had a tinge of pink, not fully healed yet. He reached up and touched the flowing line. He hadn't realised he'd been cut so badly by the glass. And it had barely missed his eye. He was very lucky he hadn't lost his sight. He threw the bandages in the bin, and proceeded to brush his teeth, all the while his eyes never leaving the scar.

He got dressed into the grey school uniform, packed his bag and headed downstairs on his crutches for breakfast. He met Sakura coming up the stairs as he walked down the hall, dressed in her pink dressing gown.

"Hey," Kage said with a grin, feeling how his scar moved when he smiled. Sakura noticed it too and suddenly she started tearing up, so he quickly rushed to his little sister. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he lent his crutches up against the wall before pulling her into a tight hug, concerned.

"You've got a scar..And it's my fault.." she said as she cried into his shoulder.

"Shush.." he said, patting her on the back. "It wasn't your fault. Shush.."

"But.. if I hadn't come in then the monster wouldn't have grabbed me and you..." she started crying harder now, but Kage blanked for a minute, shocked by her statement. She had seen the monster too? She remembered it the same as him? So maybe he hadn't imagined it after all...

"What monster?" he said with a smile, coming back to reality. "You're imagining things, don't be silly." He pulled her back into a tight hug and her crying seemed to subdue a little. Even if the monster had been real, he couldn't let Sakura believe it. She didn't need to carry that burden.

"It was a gas explosion, remember?" he said, laughing a little to lighten the mood.

"Oh ya, I must've just been imagining things," she said as she stopped crying and beamed up at her older brother, consoled now. Happy he had done his job Kage stood up and patted her on the back.

"C'mon, hurry up and get dressed or you'll be late for school," he said, pointing her in the direction of her room.

"Okay," she said happily, practically skipping away. Kage turned, smiling, and headed downstairs. He entered the kitchen and had just popped some bread in the toaster when their was a knock on the door.

"_A knock? Rokuro never knocks,"_ the teen thought to himself. He decided he must have imagined it and continued waiting for his toast. After the toaster popped he grabbed the toast and had just sat down to eat it when he heard another knock on the door. Curious, he got up and strolled to the front door, toast in hand. He opened the door and was surprised to see Taylor standing there, blond hair blowing slightly in the light breeze.

"What are you doing here?" he stammered, glancing behind him to make sure no one was there. He leant awkwardly on his crutches, blushing slightly.

"I just thought I'd call for you on the way to school," she said as she looked up, smiling. As she looked up though she noticed the scar, her smile dropping slightly, but she didn't bring it up.

"Oh right, eh sorry I was right in the middle of my breakfast," he said as he raised up his meagre slice of toast.

"Some breakfast," she snorted, which made Kage laugh a little. Suddenly he heard a high pitched squeal behind him, his face dropping as he turned to see Akira standing in the hallway, hands clasped over her mouth. She was passed Kage in a shot, already dragging Taylor into the house, pestering her if she wanted tea or coffee or something to eat, though Taylor politely declined, stating she had already eaten breakfast.

"So Kage, are you going to introduce me?" Akira said with as she flashed Kage an evil grin. Kage returned her grin with a glare as he swallowed the last piece of his toast.

"Akira, this is Taylor, Taylor this is Akira. Oh look at the time, gotta go bye." he said hurriedly as he dragged Taylor (as best as a person on crutches can drag someone) out of the house, slamming the door behind him. They rushed down the road as Akira appeared at the door.

"GOODBYE! HAVE A NICE DAY YOU TWO!" she screamed down the road after the two of them. A smirk on her face, Taylor turned around and replied.

"GOODBYE MRS. OKINAWA!" she shouted pleased with herself, before she turned back to Kage, noticing his sudden sullen expression. Kage felt something catch in his throat as he heard Taylor shout that.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, worried. Kage waited a moment before replying.

"No. No you didn't," he said flatly, looking at his feet.

"Oh ok..." Taylor was really confused now. What was the cause of this sudden mood swing? They continued walking in silence until the met Rokuro walking towards him, probably going to call for Kage.

"Awww, the two lovebirds," he said, pretending to wipe away a tear.

"Shut up Rokuro," said Kage as he smacked the boy with one of his crutches in the groin.

"Why...?" he groaned, as he tilted over onto the ground. They kept walking passed the moaning boy, not sparing him a second glance. When he realised his performance wasn't getting him any attention, he hopped up and jogged after the pair.

"C'mon guys, I was only messing," he said as he reached them. "So what've we got first this morning?"

"Choice subject, then P.E," Taylor said, looking at her timetable.

"Crap... P.E.." said Rokuro, his face dropping.

"What's wrong with P.E?" asked Taylor, raising an eyebrow at the brown haired boy.

"You'll see.. You'll see," said Kage with a smirk. "Luckily for me, I'm exempt. For obvious reasons," he said with a chuckle. The group laughed at this as they arrived at the school gates.

"TAYLOR!" They heard a girls voice scream, before the American was tackled into the ground by a sandy brown blur. Rokuro and Kage just watched, dumbfounded, as Yuki gave Taylor the tightest hug they'd ever seen.

"_Help.." _they saw Taylor mouth, and Rokuro and Kage quickly pried Taylor loose of Yuki's grip.

"LEMME GO LEMME GO!" screamed Yuki as she wriggled about in the boy's grip.

"Promise you'll leave Taylor alone," said Rokuro sternly, as Taylor picked herself up off the ground.

"Fine..." said Yuki, annoyance clearly evident in her voice. The two boys slowly let her go, watching for any sign that she might go for Taylor again. Thankfully, she just sat down and pouted. The three laughed and went over to the rest of the gang.

"Hey guys," said Rokuro. Kage could've sworn he gave a wink to Suzu, who grinned in return. Or maybe he imagined it. He was doing that alot recently. He shrugged the thought off though, and tuned back into the conversation.

"Our head teacher is pretty crazy," said Rayden, rubbing his face as he thought of the events of the other day.

"Ours doesn't seem too bad," said Hana, with a smile. "He gave us cookies yesterday."

"Cookies? I want cookies!" moaned Yuki. "All we get to eat are hardback books..."

"Eh Yuki? I don't think your suppose to eat the books," said Rokuro, cringing slightly.

"Then why else would she throw them at our mouths stupid," Replied Yuki as she stuck out her tongue. Suddenly, the bell went and they noticed the rest of the yard was empty.

"Crap." The group said in unison. Kage, Rokuro, Rayden, Yuki and Taylor rushed to their class, while Hana, Suzu and Ryota headed off to Mr. Cookies. The group reached the door, and Kage thought of an idea. He took one of his crutches and disassembled it.

"Ok, Rokuro and Sparky help me walk in. Yuki and Taylor hold my crutches. We'll tell Miss Watanabe that my crutches broke, and that's why we're late," explained the teenager, a mischievous grin on his face. Kage wrapped one arm each around Rokuro and Rayden, and Yuki pushed the door open and the rest of the group followed.

"Sorry we're late miss, Kage's crutches broke," said Yuki, holding up the two pieces of the crutch.

"Oh that's alright! We were just about to take the roll so I haven't marked you in as late anyways."

"Thanks very much miss," said Kage humbly. The group proceeded to the back of the class, exchanging grins when Miss Watanabe wasn't looking. Taylor glanced over at Kage. His good mood had returned but she couldn't figure out why he had got so down this morning. The bell went and Miss Watanabe dismissed the class. Taylor left the room and headed for art. When she got to the art room Taylor slid into her seat next to Hana.

"Hey Taylor," she said, smiling at the blond girl.

"Hey Hana. Listen can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well when me and Kage were leaving his house this morning-"

"Leaving his house?" asked Hana, her jaw dropping.

"No! Not like that, I called for him on the way to school," corrected Taylor, blushing slightly. "Anyways, we were going and his mum said goodbye to us and I shouted back 'BYE MISSUS OKINAWA' and then he just went all quiet. Do you know why?"

"Oh, oh right. Ya I know," answered Hana, he face becoming sullen. "See four years ago, Kage's parents were killed in a car crash. Akira and Ryuu were really good friends with Kage's parents, and because Kage and his sister had no close family, they became the legal guardians. And when you called Akira 'Mrs Okinawa' I guess that just shocked him a little, cause that's his surname, not Akira's. Her and Ryuu are actually Iwate." The two girls were silent for a moment, as Taylor digested the information.

"I suppose I'd better apologise later," said Taylor, wringing her hands and staring downwards.

"I'm sure he doesn't mind, you didn't know," replied Hana, placing a reassuring hand on Taylor's shoulder.

"Thanks Hana."

"You two, down the back. Quit chatting," shouted the teacher angrily. The two girls shrugged and returned to their work.

* * *

"Sir, do you mind if I go use the gym while the rest of the class is playing soccer?" asked Kage. Even though he had multiple injuries, Doctor Kurosaki had said he could do some upper body exercise.

"I suppose you could.." said Mr. Maruyama.

"Thanks sir," said Kage, walking away before he could second guess his decision. Kage was dying to do some exercise, he hated being injured, and the gym teacher had a history of pulling weird rules out of the air, so Kage was leaving nothing to chance.

When he reached the gym, all was quiet. The rest of his class were already out on the pitch, so he had the rest of the gym to himself. He got changed into shorts and a t-shirt and made his way over to the weights.

"48...49...50," Kage placed the bar back onto the rack and rubbed the sweat off his brow. He sat up to take a drink out of his bottle, when he noticed Taylor standing in the doorway.

"Hey... What are you doing here?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Taylor realised he had noticed her, and started blushing. She had come to say sorry for this morning and she hadn't wanted to interrupt, so she had been waiting until the Kage had finished but she had slightly phased out. She stammered, searching for a response.

"Eh.. well... I .. em.."

"C'mon, spit it out," said Kage with an amused smirk.

"Eh well, I talked to Hana today and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what happened this morning on the way to school." The black haired teen ran his hand through his glistening hair, contemplating this apology.

"It's alright," he said eventually. "You didn't know. So why aren't you out with the others?" he asked, motioning towards the window where the rest of their class could be seen, running laps of the pitch.

"Well I wanted to say sorry to you so I pretended I'd forgotten my gear."

"Well I wouldn't use that excuse too often, or Mr. Maruyama will eat you alive," Kage said with a chuckle.

"He doesn't seem too bad-"

"MOVE YOUR FAT ARSES! MY GRANDMA CAN RUN FASTER!" The pair looked around, towards the open window, where they could now see Mr. Muruyama chasing the class around the pitch. Kage just gives Taylor an 'I told you so' look.

"Well I'm gonna go have a shower, see ya later," he said as he walked off on his crutches into the changing rooms.

* * *

Kage was walking out of the front door of the school, when he noticed a familiar head of red hair. The party in question was with a group of friends. 3rd years, Kage remarked. The person turned to speak to his friend, and Kage realised he was the man who had saved him and Sakura.

"Hey Kage," said Rayden as he caught up to his friend. "What you looking at?" he asked, following his gaze.

"Nothing," Kage answered dismissively. He noticed the redhead had left his friends and Kage started walking after him. "Sorry but I've gotta go. See ya tomorrow," he said, hardly sparing Rayden a second glance.

He followed the man, making sure to stay in the shadows and behind cover. Kage had always had a knack for sneaking about, and when he was younger he would always play tricks on his parents. It was made significantly harder by his crutches, but he managed. Suddenly the man stopped and pulled a phone from his pocket.

"Crap, a hollow," Kage heard him mutter.

"_A hollow? What's that?" _he wondered. Suddenly, he noticed that the man had changed into a black robe and had that huge sword from the night he saved Kage, and was placing his body up against the wall.

"_Wait.. He's placing his body.. How the hell is he outside his body?!" _Then disappeared in a blur of movement. _"Crap, where'd he go?" _Suddenly, he heard a roar, the same roar from the night of the .. he wasn't quite sure what happened that night.. but he felt the same pressure as that night. Then he was going as fast as he could away from that area.

"_I have to get away, gotta get away. These damn crutches!"_ he thought as he felt the pressure increasing. And then he rounded the next corner, and there it was, a hulking mass of grey with an enormous hole in its chest and and white mask covering its face, with teeth the size of tombstones. This monster was different from the last one though. Though it shared some characteristics, it had two arms instead of four, with a long, red middle finger at the end of each.

Kage turned to go back the other direction, but he was too slow. The monster was already above him. And he was swinging the long finger towards him, but when it hit him, he hardly felt a thing. Just a little push, and a pop and then he was looking at the back of his head. He fell backwards onto the ground, though he felt different now, lighter somehow. His injuries were gone, he noted, but his scar remained. He looked up slowly and noticed there was a chain now running from him, connecting him to his body, which was lying face down on the ground. His body. HIS body.

"_This is not happening. This can not be happening,"_ he thought, disbelievingly, as he stared at himself. Then he heard a roar and the monster was rushing towards him again. He dived out of the way, unhindered by his crutches now. Running round a corner he was nearly away, until he felt a tug in his chest. His body. He'd forgotten about it. He'd have to go back for it. He rushed back, hoping it was ok. When he reached the street where his body lay though, he saw something he hadn't expected.

"Kage, Kage, wake up!" shouted Taylor, kneeling over his body crying. He was touched for a moment, until he was brought back to the reality of the immediate situation by a roar. He noticed the monster looming over Taylor, reaching down towards her.

"Taylor, RUN!" he shouted as he charged the monster. Taylor, completely oblivious to either him or the monster, remained kneeling by his side, continually shaking him and calling his name. He launched himself at the hulking mass of grey, but was just swatted away as if he was nothing but an irritating fly. He crashed back into a nearby wall, creating a small crater. Taylor looked up in shock, unaware of the oncoming claw. Kage went to speak, but all that passed his lips was warm blood. One of his lungs were punctured, he realised, as it was becoming hard to breathe. Then he heard a scream and he saw Taylor being wrested from the ground and into the air. Kage couldn't let her die, he wouldn't let her die. He couldn't allow anyone to be harmed just because he was too weak.

"_**Do you want to be strong?" **_Kage heard something say in his head.

"_Yes."_ He replied immediately, without hesitation.

"_**Then come, I will teach you,"**_ said the voice. Everything froze, and then the world went black.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that's the fourth story! What did everyone think? Remember review, follow, favourite and please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes. I have proofread, but sometimes I miss stuff :/ And also, thanks to 'guest' for my first to reviews :D It means alot to me to finally get some solid feedback :)


	5. Chapter 5: Hidden Power

Kage opened his eyes, and was greeted by a soft, noon light. He lay on his back for a few seconds, taking in his surroundings. All he could see as he lay on the soft ground were the stalks of long blades of wheat, blowing gently in the light breeze. Hopping to his feet he looked around, scanning from left to right. All he could see for miles were these endless fields of golden wheat. The sun seemed to be hanging just above the horizon, as if in a perpetual sunset.

_"Where am I,"_ he thought to himself. Had he not just been in the middle of a fight with one of those monsters? And Taylor was there.

_"Crap, Taylor! I have to get back,"_ he thought urgently, the realisation coming to him in a rush.

"**Don't worry child, she is safe," **said a knowing voice, emanating from behind him. **"For now." **It added ominously, as Kage turned to see a good looking woman in her thirties sitting on a wooden fence, her legs crossed elegantly. She was clad in a black robe, which was continuously sifting about, changing shape. Black mist rolled off it, making it look as if the world was warping around her. In contrast to her black robe, she had bright white hair and pale skin, with icy blue eyes. She emanated an aura of control and power, which unnerved Kage slightly.

"Who are you?" he asked the woman, his voice quivering slightly. He saw her mouth move, but no sound reached Kage's ears. He asked again, more insistent this time, but still he could not hear this mysterious woman.

"**Alas, you cannot hear my name yet," **stated the woman, her expression visibly changing to one of deepest sorrow. **"But I will lend you what power I can," **she finished, stepping down from the fence, into the lush fields. She moved forward, towards Kage. The wheat separated to allow her to pass, before closing in on itself once more. She seemed to hover above the ground, though Kage could see her taking steps.

"What is this place? What are you?" Kage inquired, a hint of fear in his voice. The woman smiled, amused at something, though Kage could not ascertain what the source of her amusement was.

"**This place? This is your mind Kage, your inner world. This is where all you know is stored and kept along with those things you possess but do not realise. And as for what I am, you will discover in time," **by now she had reached Kage, and was standing before him. Her slender hand gracefully reached down to her waist and drew from there, first a black hilt, and then a long, thin silver blade. She handed him a sheath tied to a black sash and told him to put it on. He obeyed and slid it over his head. It fit comfortably, like it had been made just for him. The sheath ended somewhere near his ankles, he noted, though it didn't hit off them when he moved.

"**Take this sword, it will help protect those you care for,"** she said handing him the blade. He took it, and marvelled at its craftsmanship. It was long and solid, but light as a feather in his arms. He gratefully slid it into it's sheath, before returning his gaze to the woman who stood before him.

"**Now go,"** she said as she placed a hand on his chest and pushed. Then he was falling. Falling. Falling. And then he was back, on the street, sitting in the crater, watching as Taylor inched towards those tombstone teeth. But she wasn't moving, and neither was the monster. everything was grey and frozen. And he felt different now. His wounds were gone and so was the chain on his chest. He could still feel the pressure that the monster was emanating, but it no longer pressed down on him like it had before. He was clad in a black robe, and had a long sheath strapped to his back.

"_The sword,"_ he thought, leaping to his feet and drawing it with his right hand all in one fluid motion. As soon as he moved, the world came back to life, colour returning to his surroundings, and the monster was bringing Taylor towards its marble white jaw. He sprang into action, jumping through the air and landing on the monster. Before it had time to react he had plunged his blade into the back of its head. The silver metal slid all the way through, like it was warm butter, and cracked the monsters mask as it exited. With a howl of rage and anguish, the monster disappeared it a cloud of black, and then Taylor was falling to the ground. But Kage was already beneath her falling form, catching her, his sword now safely placed in its sheath. She was unconscious, he realised. Her breathing was steady and her expression calm as she snuggled into his arms. He stood there for a moment, contemplating what had just occurred. He had become so strong so suddenly. What was he? Some kind of superhero? No that was stupid. But he felt so strong right now, like he could lift a mountain. He looked over at where his body lay. Whatever was going on, if he wasn't home by the time Akira got back from work, she'd be worried sick. He walked over to his body, and checked the time on his watch.

"_6:12. Weird, it's felt like days." _Now however he was faced with another problem. How did he get back into his body? _"I'll get home first, then I'll figure it out," _he decided, picking up his body and crutches. He was about to head off, when he realised he had left Taylor. He couldn't leave her there, he'd have to try and carry her as well. He picked her up with one hand, being as gentle as possible, and placed her limp form hanging over his right shoulder, his own body on his left. Kage began walking, straining under the weight of the two bodies. Beads of sweat began to break out on his brow, but he persevered.

* * *

Ichigo floated silently above the young teen. He had felt a sudden spike in spiritual pressure over in this direction as he had been heading back to his body and had just flown over to see what was going on. He studied the boy keenly. He knew of course that that was the boy he'd saved last week, but he wondered how he had develop his spiritual energy in such a short period of time. Had he been a Soul Reaper already and Ichigo just hadn't picked up on it? No, he had definitely not had any spiritual pressure when they had met prior to this. He would have to inform hat'n'clogs about this peculiar development.

"_Who are you?" _he thought with a smirk, before disappearing with a flash of shunpo.

* * *

After what felt like an age, the now glistening teen reached home. Fortunately, he didn't pass anyone on the way. He thought it would've been an odd situation for someone to see two bodies just floating down the road. Kage unlocked the front door and proceeded into the living area. He placed Taylor's motionless form lying on the couch, and covered her with a blanket as an afterthought. The black robed teen then continued up to his room, laying his body on the bed. He contemplated the situation for a moment, just staring at his body.

"**Just get into it," **said a voice in his head. This startled him, but he then realised it was that woman from earlier.

"_So she is actually in my head."_

"**Yes I am, just get in."**

"_Ok, ok sorry it's just kinda weird!"_ He shook off a feeling of invasion, before proceeding to lie on the bed beside his comatose form. He then just sort of, shuffled closer to his body, and it was almost akin to what happens when two magnets get close enough. He was simply sucked back into his body, and after a few brief moments of disorientation everything was back to normal.

He lay on his bed for a few minutes, musing over recent events. He laid out all the facts in his mind. He can see monsters. He can leave his body. And he has a crazy lady inside of his head who gives him powers and a big sword.

"**Not crazy, eccentric," **she corrected him, amusement evident in her voice.

"_You seem pretty crazy to me," _ he thought to himself cynically.

"**What was that?" **the woman asked rhetorically him, letting a tinge of anger slip into her voice.

"_Eh, nothing,"_ he replied hurriedly. This was going to take a while to get used to.

Kage came to the decision to go check on Taylor. He headed downstairs on his crutches. It felt strange, being so weak after feeling so strong. He reached the bottom of the stairs in time to hear a thump followed by a whimper. Worried, he hurried into the living room to find Taylor lying face down on the floor, tangled in the blanket he had placed on her earlier.

"Your up I see," he said with a chuckle, moving to help her to her feet. She grasped his outstretched hand and he managed to pull her up, though it was difficult with his crutches.

"What happened?" she asked him, as they sat down on the couch beside each other.

"Well I was walking home and I came around a corner and you were just lying on the ground. I tried to wake you up but you were dead to the world so I managed to get you back here," he said smiling at the look of bemusement on her face.

"But I thought I found you on the ground, and then there was an explosion and then..." Her story telling slowly ground to a halt however, as Kage stared at her with a look of hysteria as he pretended to be holding in his laughter. He definitely was not telling her she was right after all.

"You must've hit your head pretty hard when you fell," a chuckle escaping as he said it. He was trying to make her think she had imagined it all, and his plan was working. Taylor slowly lost hold of the conviction she had had when she first started explaining.

"Yeah, that's probably it," she said, rubbing her head as an afterthought.

"I brought you to my house 'cause I don't actually know where you live, sorry."

"Oh no it's fine, don't worry! Actually I should probably get going or my parents will be worried sick," she said happily, but her expression didn't reflect the same emotions.

"Oh yeah, yeah you should head," he agreed dejectedly.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. And gimme a bit of a warning before you come calling for me again ya? I don't want a repeat of this morning," he said with a grin, the mood lightening.

"Where would be the fun in that," she answered with a cheeky smile. "Well I better run, bye!" She ran out the door with a giggle, passing Akira and Sakura on the way out. Akira walked into the living room and stood in front of Kage, an evil look on her face.

"Kage.."

"No. We are NOT having this conversation," he said sternly, swiftly turning around heading for the stairs.

"But Kage..." the woman whined, but he was already gone out of the room. "He's growing up so fast," Akira said as she slumped down onto the couch, wiping away tears of joy.

"Gimme a break," Sakura groaned as she breezed past the over emotional woman. "When's Ryuu gonna be home?" asked Sakura. "I thought he was gonna be home early for once."

"He'll get back a seven, he's only delayed by a half an hour. He said something about bad traffic," Akira answered, snapping out of her emotional rut. "I better get the dinner ready actually," she finished as she walked towards the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm home!" shouted Ryuu as he walked in the door. He slipped of his boots and left his briefcase down with a clunk. He walked into the kitchen and kissed his wife affectionately.

"Get a room," Sakura said as she stuck out her tongue at the pair. In reply to this, Ryuu grabbed Akira and swept her into a passionate kiss. When they eventually came up for air, the found Sakura was curled up in a ball rocking herself.

"My eyes... It burns..." she whispered. The two adults laughed as Akira went to try prise the young girl from her shell of safety.

"Where's Kage?" Ryuu asked suddenly.

"Oh he's up in his room. Actually, mind telling him that the dinner's nearly ready?"

"Yeah sure," the brown haired man said, swiftly turning to head upstairs. When he reached Kage's room he stopped outside the door, and rapped on the white painted wood three times.

"Come in," he heard Kage say from inside. Ryuu pushed the door open and peaked his head inside, to find Kage lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. He look distant, like something was bothering him. His eyes were glassy and he wasn't focused on anything in particular it seemed. Concerned, Ryuu decided to probe him for information.

"How was your day," he started, leaning on the door frame. Kage took a moment and really thought about the question.

"Alright," he replied, going for the impartial reply.

"You sure? Nothing happen?"

"Nope."

"Well alright then," said Ryuu, turning to leave the room. "You know you can talk to me and Akira about anything, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Dinners nearly ready by the way, you had better come down," he finished, heading out into the hall and closing the door gently behind him. _"God, I'm bad at this stuff," _he thought to himself as he walked down the stairs. _"He's a teenager though, he's suppose to be like this," _he decided, trying to reassure himself.

"_This is the first time in a long while the whole household has had dinner together," _Kage thought to himself as he gulped down another bit of rice. He used household because as much as Ryuu and Akira were family to him, Kage felt that word was reserved for his parents. It had been four years, but Kage was still not quite used to the fact his parents were gone. It was easier for Sakura, she had only been six. But Kage was the older brother and he had had to be able to bottle up all his emotions and reassure his sister knew it was going to be alright. He had changed that day. It was the day when his childhood had died, and the accidents you heard about on the news that you knew were sad but you still failed to feel sad, had become reality. He never thought it would be him, lying unconscious in the back of the husk of what used to be a car. Never thought it would be him who would lose his parents. Never thought it would be him on the news, with people trying to, but failing to be compassionate and sympathetic to his situation. Never thought it would be him.

"Hellooooo? Kage?" His sister waved her hand in front of his eyes, an expression that resembled a fish attached to her face.

"Kage, your dinner, it'll go cold," Akira said, nudging his plate from across the table.

"Oh right, sorry," he said, snapping out of the trance, and continuing to eat the well prepared dinner. As airheaded as Akira was, she was a brilliant cook. Kage usually looked forward to her dinners, but he just didn't feel like it today. He kept stuffing it down his throat though, as he knew Akira would be take it as a sign that she had cooked it badly if he didn't finish it, even if he reassured her it was gorgeous.

"So how was work today Ryuu?" Akira asked, trying to stir up a conversation.

"Oh very good actually. We've managed to grab a very lucrative contract with Karakura Hospital. They want a completely new building, and we've been chosen to do it. We had a meeting with the board of directors today and I managed to convince them to contract us," he explained, chuffed with himself. Ryuu worked for a big building contractors in the city. He had been working on getting the contract with the Karakura Hospital for months now and that he actually managed to pull it off was quite something.

"That's brilliant!," shoute Akira, pulling him into one of her signature bear hugs.

"Help..." he managed to slip out through the crushing pressure, but the two kids sat back and watched as the man had the life squeezed out of him. They grinned evilly as he made pleading motions with his hands behind the crazed womans back. Eventually, she let him go from her iron grip, with only a few cracked ribs. He slumped back into his chair and gasped and wheezed, but that went unnoticed to Akira.

"So Sakura, how was your day?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh it was good. We went to the city museum today! It was really interesting," she answered happily.

"Oh I'd forgotten that was today!" Akira said. "See anything really interesting?"

"Well we just learnt about the city's history and stuff. The coolest things were the bits about Soul Reapers though. There's all this lore about them in this area." Kage knew a little a bit about Soul Reapers, but not much. What did it matter though? They were made up. Right?

"Soul Reapers? That's a pretty depressing subject Sakura, let's talk about something else," stated Ryuu, diplomatically changing the subject. "How was your day Kage?"

"Yeah Kage, anything... interesting... happen today?" asked Akira, the evil grin from earlier returning to her face.

"_You've got no idea how interesting my day's been," _ he thought. "No nothing really."

"Nothing? Then why was Taylor in the house when we got back?" her grin widened.

"Who's this Taylor?" Ryuu asked inquisitively, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"She's a frie-"

"She's Kage's GIRLfriend," Sakura chimed in a sing-song voice.

"No she's not, she's just my friend!" he shouted at Sakura. He could feel his cheeks getting hotter so he stared at his dinner. "She passed out on the way home from school so I brought her her because I didn't know where she lives." He quickly shoveled down the last of his dinner before pushing in his chair. "I've got homework to do," he said, walking out of the room as fast as his crutches could carry him. He reached his room and collapsed into the chair by his desk. He had so much to think about, but he hadn't been lying when he said he had homework to do.

"_Two days in the damn school and they're already piling it on," _he thought grumpily as he unzipped his bag. _"Homework first, girl and monster problems later." _ He switched on his lamp, opened up the textbook and got to work.

* * *

He woke up the next morning with a cramp in his neck. Kage opened his eyes and realised he was still sitting at his desk. He had a blue blanket draped around his shoulders and the blinds had been closed.

"_I must've fallen asleep at my desk." _He got out of the swivel chair and hobbled to the window, his leg and ribs feeling alot better.

"_That's weird, Doctor Kurosaki said it would be a couple of weeks before I started to notice any improvement," _ the teen thought pensively, as he prodded his ribs. It still hurt a bit, but like a bruise, not a break. His leg however, was still wrapped in a cast so he couldn't test that out. Opening the blind, he was greeted by the sight of rain pattering on his window, and a large grey cloud looming over the city. It was not going to be a nice walk to school today.

He got over his self pity and managed to pull on his school uniform. He really needed a shower but he didn't have time, so he gave himself a quick spray of deodorant before heading off downstairs.

He was greeted by the unusual sight of Ryuu sitting in his pyjamas and a dressing gown at the kitchen table. He was usually long gone before any of the others were even up, and to see him sitting comfortably eating his breakfast was quite a shock to Kage.

"Why are you still here?" the teen asked as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Well since we'd been working so hard on getting the deal with Karakura Hospital for so long, our boss decide to let us have the day off," the sandy haired man answered in a relaxed tone. Kage nodded as he shoveled down the contents of his bowl. As he brought his bowl to the sink, he heard the doorbell chime. He quickly grabbed his bag and headed for the door. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a blur of blond zip by him and head for the door. Pulling Akira back, he speedily slipped outside and slammed the door behind him. He was greeted with a fish expression from Rokuro.

"What was that all about?"

"Kami Rokuro! Since when do you only ring the doorbell once?"

"Well I could ring it like I used to it's just I thought I'd better not since it's quite early and Akira might still be in bed or something.."

"Ugh... No it doesn't matter. C'mon let's go," he said leading the way to the school. Rokuro just scratched his head as he followed the black haired boy. Sometimes, Kage could be really confusing.

* * *

**A/N: Well that's the fifth and longest chapter yet! I'm going to be steadily increasing the length of the chapters, so the time between each is probably going to get longer as well. This was also delayed slightly for a number of reasons, but here it is! Anyways, read and review, any constructive criticism is appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Mall

Kage strolled out of the school with Rokuro and Rayden. His recovery had rapidly increased since Tuesday, and he had gotten his cast taken off yesterday. His recovery was unprecedented, Doctor Kurosaki had told him. He thought it was strange as well, but had more of an idea the reasoning behind his miraculous recovery. He knew it had something to do with the events on Tuesday, something about the power he had. But he didn't care that much, as long as he was out of the cast and off his crutches.

"Friday! WOOHOO!" shouted Rokuro, fist pumping the air. "So what are we doing tonight? Hit the town, pick up some chicks?"

"Nah I'm just gonna head home," said Kage, which resulted in Rokuro skidding to a halt.

"Whad'ya mean you're just gonna head home?" he asked incredulously, his jaw hitting the floor.

"He won't get in anywhere idiot, he's only fourteen," said Rayden shaking his head

"Oh right, so what about you Sparky? You up for it?"

"We're only fifteen stupid, we won't get in either."

"Hey I look mature!"

"You look like a five year old child, with a bad case of baby fat," said Suzu as her and Yuki pulled up beside the boys.

"Nice to see you too.." he replied grumpily.

"Whatcha talkin' bout?" Yuki asked chirpily

"Me and Sparky here are going out to pick up some girls tonight!" said Rokuro as he punched Rayden on the shoulder in a friendly manner. This prompted a noticeable change of expression from Yuzu. She came level with Rokuro and discreetly tapped him on the shoulder, giving him a disapproving look when he turned to face her.

"Or maybe I'll just go home as well," Rokuro said, his face ashen. Rayden and Kage laughed at the sudden turn of events, as Taylor, Hana and Ryota joined the gang.

"Hey guys," said Hana, as she shouldered her bag. "Anyone got plans for the weekend?"

"How about we all meet up at the mall tomorrow?" suggested Ryota. He had finally gotten over his nerves and could now speak around Taylor, if not directly to her.

"Yeah, that sounds good," said Yuzu in agreement. "Everyone up for that?" There was a murmur of yes's and sure's as they headed out of the gates. The group split, Rokuro, Kage and Taylor staying together, while the rest went their own ways.

"So how's Yuzu?" Kage prodded with a cheeky grin.

"Eh I dunno, why're you asking me? Why should I know?" he stammered, his cheeks going red.

"Oh I dunno, just had a feeling that you two were..." he didn't finish the sentence leaving it up to Rokuro's imagination to figure out what his feeling was.

"No. Just no," he said, staring at his feet. Taylor and Kage just laughed at the embarrassed boy. Eventually, they reached Rokuro's turn and they said their goodbye's, promising to meet up the next day. Kage and Taylor strode down the road, the sun going down behind them, bathing everything in a warm orange glow.

"So how's your leg feeling?" Taylor asked, motioning towards his now uncovered leg.

"Fine actually," he replied with a smile.

"That's good," she said awkwardly. They continued walking, taking their time, and just enjoying each others company. Eventually they reached Kage's house and they ground to a halt.

"This is my stop," he said lightly. Taylor reached down and took his hands in hers, which surprised Kage, but he didn't pull away.

"Listen Kage," she said, staring him straight in the face. "I just wanted to thank you for being so nice to me this week, and introducing me to your friends. It's made the whole transition so much easier, and I'm really grateful," she explained, smiling all the while.

"It was nothing," he replied, brushing off the compliment. "Anytime." They were just standing there, looking at each other. And then Taylor began to slowly lean into Kage, Kage following suit. And then he heard footsteps behind him and he quickly pulled back, spinning around. Ryuu was there behind him with a bag of groceries in each hand.

"What are you doing?" Kage asked, trying to divert attention from the non-event he had probably just witnessed.

"What does it look like? I had nothing better to do so I decided to get the groceries," he said happily.

"But you know Akira hates when you buy the groceries 'cause you never get the right stuff?" Kage said, facepalming.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," his expression quickly changing from one of pride to one of despair. "She's going to kill me isn't she," he stated. Kage just nodded his head.

"Well I better get going," Taylor interrupted. "I'll see you tomorrow then Kage?"

"Yeah, tomorrow," Kage replied with a smile. They waved goodbye and Taylor headed off down the road.

"She's quite the catch," Ryuu said suddenly, making Kage jump.

"No! No way! I told you we're just friends!"

"Then what was that little thing I stumbled in on," he said winking at the teen as he walked away, leaving him gobsmacked. Kage shook it off and headed after the mop of brown hair that was Ryuu Iwate.

* * *

"Hat'n'clogs? You here?" Ichigo called out as he slid open the door to the small shop.

"The boss is in the back," said a low voice to the right of Ichigo. "I'll tell him you're here."

"Thanks Tessai," Ichigo said with a smile as he watched the hulking man walk away. He passed the time looking at the merchandise on the shelves. There was the general everyday convenience store products, cereal, chocolate etcetera. But Ichigo knew that they were all for show. The shop was really the number one place in the Karakura area for Soul Reapers to get supplies. But Ichigo wasn't here to buy anything at the moment. A mop of red hair popped out of a door at the back of the shop.

"The boss will see you know," the young boy said.

"Thanks Ginta," Ichigo replied, heading for the door. Ginta lead him into a small, well lit room with a low table in the centre, with a pot of tea and two cups poured. An average sized man sat crossed legged, wearing a green cloak, a white and green striped hat and a pair of wooden clogs.

"Ah Ichigo," he said happily. "Why the sudden visit? Did you miss your uncle Kiskue?" he said making big eyes.

"In your dreams Urahara," Ichigo said annoyed, but he was smiling. "Actually, I've got some news you might find interesting," he said as he sat down.

"Tell me more," the other man replied, sipping his tea. Ichigo explained to him about the young boy, staring from when he'd save him from the hollow and finishing when he'd seen him clad in a Shihakusho and brandishing a Zanpakutou.

"That is.. interesting," Urahara said, as he placed his now empty cup on the table. "What did you say his name was?"

"I didn't," he said bluntly. "I could probably find out from the clinic's records though."

"No, no it's ok. I have a feeling I know who it is. Black hair was it?"

"Yeah, around fourteen or fifteen."

"That would be.." he stopped for a second to take a sip of Ichigo's untouched tea. "Kage Okinawa."

* * *

Kage rubbed the sleep out of his weary eyes. He glanced over at his bedside clock. 11:02. He had better get up or Akira would be in chasing him out of bed. He strolled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. What was he doing today? Meeting up with the gang he remembered. He quickly scrubbed himself down, before hopping out and drying off. The teen pulled on a pair of baggy jeans, a grey t-shirt and a blue hoody. He dried his hair with the towel before ruffling it up a bit with his hand.

When he entered the kitchen he was greeted with the smell of frying bacon and pancakes.

"What's the occasion?" he asked Akira who had her back to him cooking the culinary delights.

"I just felt like making something nice for breakfast," she said happily. "So do you have any plans for the day?"

"I'm just meeting up with the others at the mall. I probably won't be back until late so I'll get something to eat there." He pulled out a chair and planted himself firmly down. A few seconds later Akira slid a plate laden with pancakes and bacon, which Kage promptly devoured.

"Well, I'll be off," he said putting the plate in the washing machine.

"You're going already?" Akira asked disbelievingly.

"Well it's a quarter past twelve now, and we're getting the half twelve bus in," he answered with a grim smile.

"Well, alright then. Just don't do anything stupid, ok?" she said pulling him into a hug.

"I promise," he said quickly, trying to get away before she latched on and crushed the life out of him. He grabbed his phone and wallet off the table before heading out the front of the house. It was about a five minute walk from Kage's house to the bus stop. It was a cold day, with a low cover of heavy, grey clouds, but so far the rain had held off. The atmosphere was dense however, like the world was tensing, getting ready for the storm that was to come. Something was amiss, but Kage couldn't quite place what it was. He shook off the feeling of dread, telling himself he was imagining things.

He rounded the next corner and the bus stop came into view. Taylor and Rokuro waved to him as he quickened his pace slightly. The others lived in different areas and would be getting separate buses, but they had all agreed to meet at the mall at one o'clock.

"Hey guys," Kage started happily.

"Hey," they replied in unison, though Taylor failed to look at him. Why was that? Had he done something?

"Any news?" Rokuro asked conversationally.

"No nothing really. How about you?"

"No nothing much. Hey,when are you gonna be able to go back training?" Kage, Rokuro and Rayden all played for the local soccer club, Karakura Rovers, and the season had only started when Kage had broken his leg and ribs. He was one of the better players, though Rayden was by far the best. But they were playing their main rivals soon, Karakura United, and Rokuro had been fretting over him being injured for the game for the last week. Kage had in fact asked Doctor Kurosaki when he had been getting the cast off. He had said that usually there would be at least two weeks of physio before a person could go back to playing, but with Kage's rate of recovery, he had said he'd be back by the next week.

"I'll be back for the game anyways, don't worry."

"You better be," he said, in a mock threat. The two laughed at this, before they fell into an amiable silence. Eventually the bus arrived, if a few minutes late. The group paid their fares and headed down the back of the bus, where there were four seats in a row, so they were all able to sit together. Kage ended up between the two others, with Rokuro beside the right side window and Taylor to his left. The conversation flowed easily between the two boys, but whenever Kage talked to Taylor she blushed and looked away, keeping her replies as short as possible. What was up with her?

After a twenty minute journey they arrive at the mall. It was a three story complex, around the size of football pitch. The group exited the bus and strolled inside, heading for the central area where they were to meet the others. There was a large fountain in the central foyet, made in the renaissance style with fish heads as spouts. It was a large, four tiered structure made of grey, polished marble. The carvings were flowing, with many loops and spirals. The group leant up against the aforementioned fountain and waited for the others.

After what seemed like an age, Rayden, Yuki, Hana and Suzu came into view. Ryota was absent though and Kage wondered where he was. They all said their hello's, the girls hugging with the usual high pitched squeals of delight (especially from Yuki).

"Where's Ryota," Kage asked Rayden.

"Oh yeah. He texted me something about going to his cousins for the weekend," he reply, scratching his blond hair.

"Aww I miss messing with Ryota, he always got so uncomfortable around me," Taylor said with a giggle.

"Your so mean Taylor," said Hana as she punched Taylor playfully. "I think he's kinda cute when he's embarrassed." This statement was followed by a wave of 'Ooooohs' from the group and a 'Hana and Ryota, sitting in a tree..' from Yuki, much to the mirth of the others.

"So what if I think he's cute," replied Hana sternly, much to her credit. The group laughed before the conversation turned to what they were going to do next. It was then Kage realised a major problem. Without Ryota, there was three boys and four girls, which meant the boys would get outvoted every time. He whispered his discovery to Rokuro, and the older boys face dropped. The girls were absorbed in an argument about which clothes shop to go to first, so the boys took their chance to slip away, in the hope they would avoid a day of being dragged around to various different clothes shops. Just as they thought they were in the clear however, they heard a squeal of anger from Yuki. They looked at each other with ashen faces. Then they ran.

They took off, flying through the crowds of people. Kage was surprised that his leg felt so good, and he picked up the pace a little. The trio skidded round a left turn, their shoes squeaking on the smooth tiles. An old lady let out a shout, something about kids having to respect these days. They shouted back hurried apologies, but she didn't notice as she was suddenly trampled by a horde of angry teenage girls. They reached the escalators and flew up them two at a time. And then Kage and Rayden realised they were going up the down escalator. In their rush they had failed to realise this, and they heard Rokuro shout down to them something along the lines of 'block headed idiots' and 'fending for your selves'.The stranded boys then turned around to see the mob of girls standing at the bottom, hands on hips and tapping their feet. Kage hopped over the railing onto the adjacent up escalator and ran after and Suzu took of up after him, but Rayden hadn't noticed his friends sudden departure and could only watch in horror as he grew ever closer to Yuki and Hana.

Kage eventually found Rokuro who had secreted himself in a deserted area near the delivery bay. Kage collapsed beside him, panting from the exertion.

"You get away?" Rokuro asked with a smirk.

"I think so, but Sparky wasn't so lucky. May he rest in peace," he joked wiping a fake tear from his eye. The two boys laughed, though their respite was soon cut short by the sound of Suzu and Taylor debating where the two could've gone. The two boys pressed themselves to the whitewashed wall, doing their best to remain unseen. They heard the pair pass by the short hallway they were hiding in, and the footsteps and chatter slowly got quieter. They sighed and let out the breath they hadn't realised they were holding. Kage walked to the end of the hall, Rokuro tailing him. He slowly peaked around the corner. And looked right into Suzu's face.

"Gotcha," she said mischievously, lunging for Kage. He scrambled away and took off in the opposite direction, but Suzu was able to corner Rokuro in the smaller hallway. It was only Taylor after him now. He led her up to the next floor, taking the correct escalator this time. He jogged along passed the shops, weaving in and out of the many shoppers. Eventually he burst through a fire exit and scaled the metal stairs. Ducking behind a large generator box, he waited. He heard Taylor reach the top of the stairs and her footsteps started to slow. He was able to see her through a narrow gap between two other generators. She looked around furtively, but failed to check in the spot Kage was hiding. The young American slowed to a stop as she reached the edge of the roof. Grasping the railings, she looked out across the the sprawling cityscape below.

"I like to come up here sometimes, just to relax," he said, coming up behind her.

"Where'd you come out of?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the black haired teen. He gestured towards his hiding spot among the generators.

"You all calmed down now?" he said with a grin.

"I guess," she said, returning his smile. Kage moved beside her looking out over the city as well.

"It really is nice up here."

"My little safe haven. I don't think any of the others know you can come up here." They stood in silence for a while, not uttering a word. Then Kage remembered why he brought her up here.

"Hey Taylor, are you mad at me for something?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Ugh, no, no why do you think I'm mad?" she answered, forcing a smile.

"_Kami she looks nice when she smiles," _he thought to himself. She still didn't look at him directly though."Well, I dunno. Maybe the fact you won't look at me straight," he said playfully, jabbing her in the side.

"Hey stop it!" she said giggling as she writhed from the jab. Kage kept poking her though despite her protests, which only made her laugh even harder. Eventually when Kage stopped messing about, they were facing each other with Taylor's hands on his arms, pinning them to his sides. They looked at each other before Kage spoke up.

"So care to tell me why you're acting so weird?" he asked with a grin. Taylor took a moment to think before replying. She opened her mouth to start, but failed to begin. "C'mon, I won't bite."

"Ok, ok," she said, pulling herself together. "Well I just thought that, you know, after what happened yesterday.." she explained, wringing her hands nervously. "I just thought you didn't like me," she finished quickly. And then Kage remembered, what Ryuu had interrupted the day before.

"Well we can make up for that," he replied cheekily, leaning in towards the blond girl. He'd never realised how much he liked her until now. She copied his motions, moving towards him. Then he heard another voice.

"**They're coming." **He felt the air shift behind him and he knew what was coming.

"Get down!" he shouted, tackling Taylor to the ground. A grey hand slammed into the concrete of the roof, creating a small crater. The hand was visible up to the shoulder, before it disappeared into a void of darkness. Taylor had a shocked expression plastered to her face.

"What the.." she said, her mouth gaping open. Kage knew she couldn't see it, that it was the crater that freaked her out, but he had to get her out of here.

"C'mon we have to go," he said trying to coax her to her feet. "Now Taylor!" he shouted, snapping her back into reality. They hurried down the metal stairs, Kage right behind Taylor. He glanced back at the roof, to see the monster halfway through the opening. He could see the white, chalky mask over its face, and half of the large, black hole that sat in the middle of his chest.

They burst through the fire exit, back into the now bustling shopping mall. So many people, how to clear them out? He glanced around and saw a fire alarm. Quickly, he covered the distance to the red box and smashed the glass with his fist, setting the alarm bells ringing. The shoppers all started glancing about, confused as to what to do next until the stewards started ushering everyone out.

"Go find the others," he told Taylor, before turning to leave.

"Where are you going Kage? What's going on?" she asked in an extremely confused and scared tone. He turned to her and took her firmly by the shoulders.

"You need to find the others, and get away from here."

"But what's going on?"

"I can't explain right now, but you have to go," he said sternly, pointing her in the opposite direction. He started to walk away again, against the fleeing crowds.

"Kage!" He turned around to see Taylor, standing with a worried expression on her face. "Be careful.." she almost whispered, before the girl turned her back and walked away. Kage hoped it wasn't the last time he saw her, even if it was just the back of her blond head.

"_How many are there?" _he asked as he walked quickly into a nearby bathroom. It was deserted, and the floor was cover in a small layer of water from the sprinklers. Opening a bathroom stall he slipped inside and locked the door.

"**Too many to count."**

"_So how do I get out?" _he thought, stumped as to how to leave his body.

"**Find your power first." ** Kage rummaged around inside his mind, until he found the familiar feel of his power.

"**Now pull."**He grasped it tightly, and yanked it out. And with an echoing noise and a flash of blue, he was out. Catching his body, he left it sitting on the toilet lid. Athletically scaling the door of the cubicle he left the bathroom, searching for that heavy pressure that signposted the monster. Breaking into a jog now, he realised it was still on the roof. Taking the metal steps of the fire escape three steps at a time, he reached the roof in no time.

The monster had now fully emerged from the darkness, and stood tall at the edge of the roof surveying the crowds down below as if it was looking for a tasty meal. The wind had started to pick up, and the black shihakusho Kage wore whipped about in the intermittent gusts. Rain was beginning to patter down as well now. The storm was starting.

"**Quickly, before it notices your presence." **He covered the ground between him and the monster swiftly, sweeping his long blade upwards, leaving a long bloody gash on its back. It roared and turned around, raising a hand to crush Kage.

"**Finish it." **The giant, grey fist crashed down, but Kage nimbly dodged to the right and leapt into the air and slashing its mask all in one swift movement. In a cry of anguish, it collapsed clutching at its face, before disappearing in a cloud of black. The black haired teen grinned to himself. He was getting better at this.

"**Don't get too happy with yourself, we're not out of the woods yet." **And then he felt it.

"_So many.." _he thought to himself in shock, as he felt the numerous dark and heavy pressures. He leapt to the top of the railing and surveyed his surroundings. It was hard to pick out anything in the rain, but he squinted towards where he felt the pressures. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the area below. And he saw them. They were pulling themselves out of thin air. Grey legs, arms and white masks could be seen, pushing their way into existence. And they were all around the crowds below. He was going to have to act fast. He turned to head back the way he came, before his train of thought was interrupted.

"**You know you could make the jump," **she said with a touch of mirth in her voice. He turned back to look at the sodden ground, at least 30 metres below.

"_Really?" _he thought skeptically.

"**Just gather energy beneath your feet before you hit the ground, you'll be fine."**

"_This feels a lot like the time I broke my leg when Rokuro told me I'd be okay if I jumped out of the tree," _he replied grimly.

"**Don't be such a scaredy cat," **she said to him, and Kage got an image of the elegant woman poking her tongue out at him.

"_Okay, okay, gimme a break!" _he snapped, bracing himself. Then he threw himself over the edge. It was only for a few seconds, but it felt amazing. Just falling like he was a drop of rain, being weightless, and not having a care in the world. And then one of those cares came back. Something to do with the ground.

"Crap!" he shouted aloud, as he flipped himself upright and gathered the energy at his feet, seconds before he smashed into the hard concrete. His timing was off however, and he did leave a small crater in the ground, much to the shock of an old woman nearby. He sprung elegantly out of the rubble and scaled a nearby telephone pole.

"**You could've executed that better."**

"_Shut up."I_

The evacuated shoppers were milling about outside the complex, huddling under umbrellas and wrapping themselves in scarves and hats, while a number of stewards tried to organise people to allow the firemen to get through so they could search for the source of the 'fire'. The monsters were appearing in a circle around the group near the edges of the nearby woods that bordered the mall. What had he done? He had lead all these people into the gaping jaws of these monsters, just because one happened to appear in the mall? He had been rash, and acted without thinking it through. If anyone of these people died, it was on him. And there were so many people..

"**Well standing around gawking isn't gonna help." **Kage realised with a start that she was right. He had to move. Leaping off the pole, he ran over the crowd, sword drawn. It was going to be tough.

* * *

Ichigo looked up from his homework. He was feeling something big coming from the mall. There were a lot of hollow spiritual pressures, but there was something else, something familiar.

"_A soul reaper? Yeah, definitely a soul reaper, but who's?" _He definitely had felt it before, but he couldn't place it. It was strong, but it had a feeling about it, a certain newness. Then it hit him. _"Kage Okinawa," _he realised. _"He'll never be able to take on that many hollows, he's too inexperienced." _He leapt to his feet, grabbing Kon who had been sleeping peacefully on the bed.

"Ahh what the hell are you-" The mod soul was cut off however as Ichigo shoved his hand down his throat, pulling out the small green ball that was Kon's soul. Ichigo tipped his head back and swallowed, before emerging from his body.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he shouted back to Kon as he leapt out the window.

* * *

Kage ducked under a swipe of the monsters claw, and slashed off its right leg. It toppled forward as it lost its balance and he used the force of its fall to impale his blade through its mask. Ripping the long sword free, he jumped backwards onto nearby low hanging branch as another monster slammed one of its tentacles into where he was just standing. The rain was lashing his skin now, making everything wet and slippy, but he managed to keep his balance. Diving off the branch he dropped behind the monster with the tentacles, slashing it on the way down and taking it out with one swing. He whipped around, blocking an oncoming talon from another monster. He slid backwards, losing his grip on the slippery grass. It reared back again for another strike and Kage dived to the right, coming around behind it. He stabbed it in the back of the knee, severing the tendons, before scaling its back and swiftly slitting its throat. Before that monster hit the ground there was another on him, and another, and another. There was an endless torrent of the grey masses of muscle. He was running low on reserves now, every movement was taxing.

Three of the grey beasts had cornered him now, forcing him up against the wide trunk of a towering great tree. The one the right was the first to make a move. Covering the ground between itself and Kage swiftly, it raised its massive fists above its head, preparing to beat the teen to a pulp.

He swung his blade, opening up a gash on its thigh. He'd meant to cut clean through. It roared and stumbled backwards, but an eagle winged beast swooped in and slashed at Kage with its long talons. Kage blocked it to his left, and slashed the third monster as it charged at him. A diagonal slash across its torso, left shoulder to right hip, left it reeling and Kage finished it in two more stabs, one cutting its throat, the next its mask.

While Kage had been preoccupied though, the eagle had approached from behind. It slashed Kage along his right side, below the rib cage. With a scream he dived away, clutching at his side.

"_Crap," _he thought to himself as he clutched his side. His blood was leaking through his fingers mixing with the rain water. He knew he couldn't win this fight.

Turning to flee, he was stopped by the first attacker, swinging a giant fist at the black haired boys head. He ducked under and swung his sword at the monster. It was a weak swing however, one handed in his left, and it only served as to deter the monster. He ran, heading away from the monsters, back towards the shopping centre. He stumbled through the trees, rain pelting his face and his side hurting with every beat of his heart.

Lightning flashed illuminating his surroundings every now and then. He could see the emotionless masks of the monsters through the trees, as they stood watching him flee, as if to say 'you can run, but you can't hide' .

Eventually, the frantic teen stumbled out of the dense forest onto the road which circled the mall. Many of the shoppers had left, not wanting to remain standing out in the rain. The firemen had recently left, having not found any fire. The remaining shoppers were starting to filter back inside now, much to Kage's relief. A line of about fifty of the monsters were advancing on the building now, moving towards the stragglers. He looked down at his side.

"_I'm just gonna have to grin and bear it," _he thought to himself grimly as he removed his hand from his side, grabbing the hilt of his sword. And then he charged.

Using the element of surprise to his advantage, he quickly thinned the group by about seven of the monsters, taking the stragglers down quietly from behind. As he approached his eight target, he stumbled slightly scuffing his feet off the ground. The monster whipped around and lunged at the teen. He sliced the oncoming fist, splitting its middle finger it half. The roar of anguish which followed attracted the attention of the rest of the group. He ducked beneath the outstretched arm and quickly dropped the monster, but not before another was on him. And then it began again.

Dodge, duck, slash weave, jab, slash, block, stab. The fight became a blur of pain and blood, both his own and his enemies.

There were about fifteen left. He weakly blocked an oncoming blow, and his blade was knocked from his grip. It landed, stuck upright into the mud some ten metres away. Kage stumbled towards his weapon, trying to retrieve it before it was too late. And then it was too late. Long bony fingers wrapped around him from behind, lifting him into the air, before slamming him down into the mud. He screamed hoarsely as he felt his ribs crack and lungs become punctured. He coughed violently, blood flying from his mouth. The monsters crowded around, ready to finish him off. He gazed longingly over at his blade.

"_So close," _he thought, yearning for his sword. Images of friends, his parents, Sakura, Ryuu and Akira flashed through his mind. And Taylor. He could see her in his minds eye, as she walked away from him, her long blond hair shifting as she walked away.

'"_Be careful.."' _he heard in his mind.

"I'm sorry.." he whispered, And then he closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

"Getsuga...TENSHOU!" he heard a familiar voice roar, followed by a flash of blinding light. The pressure on his chest had disappeared, and he opened his eyes to see the monsters gone. His blood was pooling with the muddy water, and he tried to move but he couldn't. So he just relaxed and closed his eyes. At least all the people were safe, his friends, safe. Content, he let himself be pulled into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Wooooooo that was a long chapter! Sorry that took so long, I had a lot of tests to study for this week, found it hard to get the time to write. But here it is! The longest chapter yet. What do you guys think so far? Drop a review if you have a problem with the story or an idea. See you guys in the next chapter :D**


	7. Chapter 7: Hat'n'Clog's Shop

His head hurt. And his chest. And his side. And his legs. And his arms. Kage squinted as he opened his eyes, the light burning into his retina. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he slowly opened them, taking in his surroundings. He was lying on a futon in the middle of a brightly lit yellow room, an orange glass like thing hovering above him. The walls were all the same, looking like sliding doors. His body had been left sitting in the corner, slumped over. He shrugged off a feeling of annoyance, before trying to sit up. He immediately regretted it, as his side screamed at him. Falling back onto the futon, he wondered where the hell he was? He of course remembered what had happened before he had fallen unconscious, but he didn't know anything past that. He lifted up the sheets that were draped over him and looked at his side. The wound was smaller, but still quite raw. He could've sworn he was able to see the flesh growing and knitting back together, but he decided it was just his imagination. Akira and Ryota were most likely worried sick, as well as Sakura.

He glanced over to the right and saw his sword lying beside the futon in its black sheath.

"**I missed you," **she said as he placed his hand on the outside of the sheath. The statement actually sounded quite genuine, lacking her usual sarcasm.

"_How long was I out?" _The injured boy inquired.

"**A day two hours ago," **she replied.

"_Crap, I've gotta get up," _he thought as he tried to sit up again. Surprisingly, the wound in his side had shrunk considerably, and was a lot less painful. He sat up, but bumped his head off the orange sheet thing.

"_What is that?" _he asked as he slid out from beneath it. As he did, he felt his body become weary, but he managed to stand. While he stumbled to his body however, he heard the door slide open. A teenage girl a bit older than Kage poked her head around the door, her long orange hair falling haphazardly across her face. Her hair was pinned back with little blue pins, but one of them looked broken, missing two of its six points. Her face was innocent, though her brow was creased with worry.

"Em.. hi?" Kage said uncertainly. The girl just stood there, staring at him. It was making him quite uncomfortable She didn't seem to register Kage's greeting, she just stood there.

"Well I'm just gonna go," said Kage, shrugging on his shihakusho and making his way to his body.

"STOP!" the girl suddenly shouted, causing Kage to freeze in a panic. "I mean, please don't leave, your wounds haven't healed yet," she said, blushing slightly. It was almost as if she had shouted by accident.

"_What a weird girl," _Kage thought to himself, as he stood awkwardly, not sure as to what to do with himself.

"You should lie back under Soten Kisshun, it'll help you get better," she said as she wrung her hands. Figuring she meant the orange shield, Kage lowered himself back onto the futon and slid beneath it. Almost immediately, he felt his wounds begin to heal, the skin re-growing and repairing itself. What was this strange power?

"So, em, what's your name?" The girl looked up from her feet, almost as if she was surprised that he was talking.

"Orihime Inoue," she said happily, having a sudden mood swing. Her somber expression was cracked by a toothy grin. "And your Kage Okinawa! Mr. Hat'n'Clogs told me!" It was Kage's turn to be surprised, who was this Hat'n'Clogs? What kind of a name was that? And how did he know his name? "Actually, I'll go get him now. Don't move!" she explained gleefully as she scampered out of the room.

Kage lay still under the glowing orange light and contemplated things. He needed to get home as soon as possible, he had decided that much. But getting out of this place was another thing. Orihime seemed intent on keeping him here until his wounds had healed, and as fast as they were healing, they were still quite severe.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a loud 'clopping' sound which was approaching the room. The noise seemed to be generated by a wooden material of some sort. The door once again slid open to reveal tall man clad in a green robe standing beside Orihime. He had white hair and bore a lackadaisical expression, also sporting a green and white hat atop the mound of white. And to complete the image, he also had a pair of wooden clogs on his feet, the source of the noise. There was something familiar about him, he just couldn't place it.

"_Hat'n'Clogs," _Kage realised.

"**Your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me," **she said, her sarcasm returned.

"_Nice to know your back to your old self__," _Kage replied vexedly. The two companions were torn away from their spat by a large yawn, emanating from Hat'n'Clogs. Kage propped himself up on his elbows, careful not to bump his head on the orange sheet.

"Well how are you feeling Kage?" started Hat'n'Clogs in a sing song tone.

"Okay I guess," he replied hurriedly. He still hadn't a clue how he'd gotten here, and he wasn't sure if he could trust these people.

"You got quite beat up, and if we hadn't got to you when we did, you'd probably be dead," he said, his voice equally as happy as in the last sentence. "Orihime's been healing you none stop since you arrived here." Orihime just nodded and stared at the ground. She didn't seem to be the most stable of personalities. One minute she's angry, then she's happy and now she was nervous. What an odd girl. The orange sheet must be her power, as Hat'n'Clogs had mentioned her healing him, and that was what appeared to be doing it.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked suddenly, adding a touch of venom to his voice. Hat'n'Clogs remained quiet for a second formulating a response.

"We've been..." he said uncertainly. "Keeping an eye on you," he chose.

**"Well that's not reassuring in the slightest." **Kage silently agreed with her.

"I've got to get home," he said abruptly, rolling out from beneath the orange sheet. In the few minutes he'd been lying there, his wounds had all closed, though the skin was a bit raw. Hopping to his feet he felt surprisingly reinvigorated. Orihime's power seemed very useful.

"Well it does look as if you're nearly better, just let Orihime bandage you up first." Kage would've argued, but he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible and he didn't want to risk an argument. He slid back into his body, before letting Orihime bandage him up. He noted that wounds he received while he was out of his body seemed to transfer to his body, though injuries to his body seemed to disappear when he was out of his body.

Hat'n'Clogs led him to the down a brightly lit corridor and out into the front of the building. It seemed to be a convenience store, with everyday groceries stacked on shelves. They seemed to be mostly dried goods however, things that wouldn't go out of date for long periods of time. Kage slid open the front door, and was about to leave when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Hat'n'Clogs rummaging in his robes for something. After what seemed like an age, he pulled a small calling card from his pocket and handed it to Kage.

_Kiskue Urahara, owner of Hat'n'Clogs Sweet Shop, _it read. It had a phone number beneath the print which was written in a flowing script, a vain attempt at seeming classy.

"You'll need to be trained of course, so we'll be in touch," he stated. Kage was going to protest, that he didn't need to be trained, but the white haired man had already turned away. The words caught in his throat, and he was left gaping as the doors were slid shut in his face. He grudgingly turned on his heel and walked out of the yard. He supposed he could use a bit of advice, considering how he'd got in this position in the first place. He also thought he could probably trust them. They did save his life after all.

He walked out onto the street and stopped to get his bearings. He didn't really know this area but he saw a sign for a bus stop pointing left down the street. As he began strolling towards the aforementioned stop, he pulled his phone from his pocket. Unlocking the screen, he was shocked by what he saw. Thirty missed calls and fourty-five text messages. He hurriedly opened up the call log and went through them. Akira, Akira, Akira, Ryuu, Ryuu, Ryuu, Sakura, Sakura... It went on like that until around thirty-five when he saw a name he didn't expect to see.

_Missed call from Taylor. _Crap. The last time she'd seen him was when he had been walking away from her in the mall. She was probably extremely worried. Who the hell to call first? Akira was as good a place as any to start he guessed.

_Ring...Ring...Ring...Rin- _"Hello? Kage is that you?" Akira's voice crackled through the tinny speaker of the phone. Her tone was riddled with worry, like a mongrel with fleas.

"Yeah, yeah it's me," the teen replied trying to sound cool and collected. "Sorry about not coming home, I ended up staying at Sparky's house for the night and I just forgot to let you know," he answered sheepishly, hoping she wouldn't think to call Rayden's parents to make sure.

"Oh okay. KAMI YOU HAD ME SO WORRIED!" she screamed down the phone at him, forcing him to hold the phone away from his ear.

"I'm sorry geez. I'm on my way home right now though," he figured it was worth a shot, though it only resulted in a torrent of "YOU BETTER BE" and "GET HOME RIGHT NOW".

"I'm just at the bus stop now so I'll see you later," he said hurriedly, before ending the call quickly to avoid another hiding from the crazed woman. The bus was just pulling off when he reached the stop. Waving at the driver, he managed to get it stopped, before hopping aboard the bus and quickly paying the fare. Finding a free seat, he quickly called Taylor. The same tone rang again, and Kage waited for her to pick up the phone. After a few seconds, but what felt like much longer, the ring was cut off and he could hear a radio on in the background. There was a brief silence, which Taylor soon remedied.

"Hey.." she started quietly.

"Hey."

* * *

Taylor was lying on her bed face down, arms folded under her chin. She had her radio on, but she wasn't giving it any attention. She just didn't like it when it was quiet. She was twisting her long, golden hair around her index finger, a habit she had developed when she was younger. Her phone lay on the pillow beside her head, a silent sentinel, keeping watch for a welcome intrusion in the form of a call or text;'#. She was still quite perplexed and worried about the events that had taken place the other day. Kage had seemed so strange. He'd been alright one second, and then he had just punched the fire alarm and ran off.

"_I wonder if it was that weird explosion on the roof that spooked him? Maybe it was a gas explosion, and he was just scared since the accident with his house," _she debated with herself. Although it was a plausible explanation, Kage just didn't seem like the type to be spooked by something like that. Groaning in frustration, the girl rolled over onto her back. Her phone suddenly began vibrating on the pillow beside her, snapping her out of her trance. She grabbed it quickly and checked the caller. It was Kage. Answering quickly, she placed the phone to the side of her head. She could hear the sounds of traffic and horns in the background as she remained quiet.

"Hey.." she mumbled quietly.

"Hey."

"Where've you been?"

"Oh right," she heard him say with a chuckle through the phone. "Well I had to go home before I could meet back up with you guys, and I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Oh, okay," she answered. It made sense, but it just didn't seem right. She decided not to pursue it though.

"You didn't have to get so worried about it though," he crackled through the phone. Taylor started to blush, embarrassed. What had she been so worried about? They just hadn't met again, it wasn't like he'd been attacked or anything. She chided herself for acting so silly.

"I know, I know, sorry," she muttered.

"The sentiment's appreciated though," he answered happily, causing her to blush even more. What was wrong with her? She never acted like this.

"So em.. Do you wanna meet up?" It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. The line went quiet for a moment, and Taylor held her breath, awaiting his response.

"...Well... I'm actually... eh... going out for dinner with my family tonight," he answered after a moment. A wave of disappointment washed over Taylor. Of course he didn't want to meet up. He had better things to do than spend time with her. "But I'll see you tomorrow anyways, yeah?" he added as what seemed like an afterthought.

"Yeah, tomorrow," she replied trying to sound happy. "Bye then," she finished dejectedly.

"Bye," he said, before he ended the call. Slumping back onto her bed, she ran her hands through her hair. Did she like him? Did he like her? They'd nearly kissed twice, but had been interrupted. And now he was making excusing so he didn't have to meet up with her. It was a terrible lie. It had taken him at least twenty seconds to come up with it. She shook her head. She hadn't felt like this since, since.. She couldn't remember when she'd last felt like this. It was so messed up.

Kage thanked the driver and stepped off the bus. A cold breeze flicked his black hair about as he slowly made his way to his house. He was worried about Taylor. She had seemed a little off. And he felt bad for lying to her about dinner with his parents. He'd talk to her in school tomorrow.

"**If you have the spine." **Kage laughed out loud, which resulted in an odd look from an old woman who was passing by.

"_I s'pose you're right about that observation," _Kage never had a great track record with bringing up touchy subjects. He was more of the avoid it and hope it sorts itself out type. He made his way up to the front door of his newly repaired house. Opening the door slowly, he slipped inside. He looked to his left, peaking around the corner into the empty sitting room. He wiped sweat from his brow, and was about to make his way towards the stairs, when he heard a cough behind him. A sense of dread filled him as he turned around to see Akira standing there, arms crossed tapping her right foot off the hard wooden floor.

"Looking for someone?" she asked, an evil smile showing of rows of white teeth, almost shark like. He gulped. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Kage jogged out onto the pitch beside Rokuro, clad in the green and white kit of Karakura Rovers. There was a small applause from the meagre group of supporters, made up of friends and family. They jogged to the side of the pitch, where Rayden was organizing the warm up. Jogging across towards the other side line, they kept in line as they followed Rayden's shouts of 'knees up' and 'heels up' and so on so forth.

It was a great day for a game. The sun was out and the pitch was dry, but it was a little bit cold, just enough so you wouldn't overheat while you were playing.

The referee blew his whistle, calling the two teams to the centre circle. The teams shin guards and studs were checked and the captains were called for the coin toss. The two teams stood opposite, trying to silently intimidate each others with glares and discreet hand gestures.

The red jerseys of Karakura United were contrasted against the green and white of Rovers. Rayden shook hands with the opposing captain, the two of them trying to crush each others hands. After a cough from the ref, the two turned to face him. As Rovers were away, Rayden got to choose heads or tails. Picking heads, the ref proceeded to flip the silver coin.

"Heads it is," the ref said, before turning to face Rayden. He decided to stay as we were, as we would have the wind with us. We got into position and I took up my usual spot on the right wing. Rayden and Rokuro stood just outside the centre circle, ready to run in at the opposition taking the kick off. Rayden would be playing centre midfield, while Rokuro was our striker. With a sharp blast from his whistle, the game was off.

* * *

Rayden passed the ball to Kage, and he barely noticed the blond haired boy go down. The centre back of the other team smashed into him, and Rayden landed awkwardly on his left foot. The ref blew his whistle and Kage stopped the ball under his foot. He quickly made his way over to where his friend lay.

"Hey, Sparky, you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he answered with a grim smile, as Kage pulled him to his feet. Rayden stepped forward, but as soon as he put weight on his foot, he started to fall again. Their coach was there, and he caught the boy.

"You're gonna have to come off Sparky," he said morbidly. "Ryota, get warmed up!" he shouted over at the timid boy who was on the bench. With a brief nod, the brown haired teen started jogging up and down the sideline.

"Hey don't worry, you played great," Kage reassured him as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've got this in the bag," he said cockily. It was just an act though, and he knew that Rayden knew as well. There was twenty seconds to go and it was two all. They needed a goal fast.

Kage and their coach helped him over to their dugout, his hands draped around their shoulders.

"Kage?" Rayden said as he sat down on the bench.

"Yeah?"

"Don't screw this up," he said. They smiled briefly at each other, before Kage walked back towards the ball. The ref had placed it just outside the box, where Rayden had been fouled.

"You take it Kage," Rokuro said as he made his way into the box. Kage just nodded and stepped back away about a metre and a half and waited until everything was ready. Rokuro organised their team in the box. Two outside each post, to stop the ball going wide, one outside on the d to hit it back in if it came out, and three, including Rokuro, inside the six yard box.

The referee blew his whistle and the crowd went quiet. The whole park was holding its breath, the only noise, a light breeze which rustled the leaves of the nearby sakura trees. This was it, the last kick of the game Kage took a couple of steps towards the ball, before swinging his foot. He struck the white and blue orb with the inside of his boot, spinning it slightly. It rose majestically into the air, floating towards the white goals. Time seemed to slow as he watched the ball move through the air. As it reached the peak of its arc, it began to spin faster, pulling it to the left. It shot perfectly into the top right corner of the goals, leaving everyone in awe as the net stretched.

And then the crowd and the team erupted into a cacophony of whoops and cheers, and Kage was smothered in a mass of green and white. He thought he heard the shrill noise of the whistle, but he wasn't sure as it was exceedingly hard to hear through the chants of his name. He smiled to himself as he was carried to the changing room. Life was good.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's been a while and you're probably all expecting a really long chapter and this isn't really amazingly long, but I'm on my mid-term break and you guys are probably thinking that if I was on my break would I not have more time to write? Wrong. First week is for catching up on sleep :D I'll be writing more now that I'm not all sleepy the whole time. And I'd like to thank RedRangerBelt for the review :) I really appreciate the support. I know nothing really happened in this chapter, so just bare with me please. I'd also like to thank everyone who's following the story and please keep reading :) Next chapter should be quicker than this at least :) See you guys then!**


	8. Chapter 8: Training and the Cinema

Kage hopped out of Rokuro's father's car and pulled his black beanie onto his mop of dark hair.

"Thanks for the lift Mr. Saito," Kage said before shutting the car door firmly. Quickly, he turned away to shield himself from the plume of smoke generated from the green hatchback as it began to trundle down the road. Kage slung his kit bag over his shoulder and began to walk in the direction of his house.

As Kage turned the corner however, he saw someone he had almost forgotten about. Kiskue Urahara sat atop a high brick wall clad in his usual robes, hat and clogs, despite the weather. He was sitting back on his arms, while absentmindedly chewing on a piece of bubblegum. He didn't seem to notice Kage who had come to a stop at the foot of the wall.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kage, leaning up against the same wall. The white haired man slowly swiveled his head, turning to face Kage.

"Ah Kage! What a coincidence that I met you hear," he answered casually. He seemed to have no intention to move from his perch.

"**Whatever this is, it's no coincidence that we've met here." **Kage silently agreed, before deciding to pursue the topic.

"I asked why you're here?" he repeated, fixing the older man his best steely glare. Hat'n'Clogs did in fact notice this, and then hopped down from the wall. Standing beside him, Kage realised he was only a couple of inches taller than the teen, and without his clogs, Kage noted he would be nearly as tall as the man. No wonder he wore those clogs the whole time.

"That was quite a nice goal Kage you scored Kage," he stated, his tone continuing in its original laid back style. Kage was inches away from thumping the man squarely in his unshaven jaw, but the subject matter took a surprising turn. "You're called a Soul Reaper, ya know."

"What?" Kage asked dumbfounded.

"That's what you're called when you play dress up and fight the monsters, who are Hollows by the way." Kage listened intently for the next few minutes as he explained the concept of Soul Reapers, Hollows and normal souls, the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the world of the living.

"How do you know all of these things?" Kage asked, eventually after Hat'n'Clogs had stopped talking. "You're not a Soul Reaper or anything?"

"No I'm not, though I am sort of... involved..." he said mysteriously. "Are you free tomorrow?" he asked suddenly. Kage opened his mouth to reply, but Hat'n'Clogs didn't give him time to reply. "That's good, 'cause your training starts tomorrow." He turned on his heel swiftly and started walking away.

"Hey, I still have some questions!"

"Keep them for tomorrow, go get some rest." And then he was gone, just disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kage's shoulders slumped suddenly. What a strange man.

* * *

Kage lay on his back, arms behind his head. It was dark outside and the street lamp outside his bedroom window was flickering, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. Kage rolled onto his side and reached over to his bedside table, groping around for his phone. Unlocking the screen, he checked his text messages.

_'Hey, are we still on for tomorrow? :)' _Taylor had texted him. Kage slapped himself in the forehead. He had forgotten completely about the promise he had made to Taylor. They had decided to go see a movie tomorrow night.

"**You're an idiot."**

"_Why didn't you remind me?"_

"**Because this is more fun." **Kage imagined the woman sticking her tongue out at him. Shaking his head he returned his attention to his phone

'_Well I have to go to Akira's friend's house, but I should be able to make it :) It's on at nine o'clock isn't it?' _His phone vibrated again a few seconds later.

'_Ya thats it, I hope you can make it :D I've gotta get to sleep, night :)'_

'_Night :)' _he replied briefly before placing his phone back on his locker. What was he going to do?

* * *

It was eleven by the time Kage reached the sweet shop. Slipping inside he was greeted by a tall dark skinned man with black braids.

"Hello Kage," he said in a deep voice. "The boss will see you shortly. Would you like something to drink?" Kage shook his head before taking a seat on a nearby bench. He let his hood fall to his shoulders now that he was inside. This part of the shop was dimly lit, compared with the back area in which Kage had been healed in.

It was five minutes later, when a door in the back slid open, and a red haired boy poked his head around.

"The boss will see ya now," he said curtly before disappearing again. Kage hopped up and followed after the boy. He found himself in a room with a large hole in the floor, with a ladder leading down into the blackness. Deciding that must be where he needed to go, he quickly descended the ladder. Eventually he emerged from the black into the light of what seemed to be the sun. A sprawling orange landscape of craggy rocks and mountains stretched out before him.

"**That's not sunlight, we're definitely underground." **

"_I know, but.. this place is huge!" _he replied gobsmacked. Continuing to the bottom of the ladder, he was greeted by none other than Kiskue Urahara.

"This is quite a nice basement you've got here," Kage started as he approached the white haired man.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied with his signature grin, as he twirled a wooden cane in his hand. "This will be your training ground." Kage nodded, studying his surroundings. And then Hat'n'Clogs had his cane through Kage's forehead. Suddenly Kage found himself standing in his black shihakusho as his body fell back towards him. Catching himself, a weird experience he wasn't quite used to, he laid himself gently on the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" Kage shouted suddenly at the man.

"What? You need to be in Soul Reaper form for training, so I just helped you along," he said in his usual lackadaisical tone.

"Bit of a warning next time would be nice," Kage grumbled. "So what kind of training is this?"

"Well for the first lesson, all you have to do is knock my hat off my head with your zanpakuto," he explained jauntily, motioning towards his hat. "There's no time limit either." Kage stood for a moment and studied the man. He had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to be a better mover than the average middle aged shopkeeper, but he didn't look like anything special. Taking a fighting stance, Kage drew his blade.

"You really think using my blade is a good idea?" Kage asked unsure.

"Well you don't have to, but I'm not gonna go easy on you if you don't." The white haired man twirled his cane about before twisting the handle and drawing a long silver and black blade out.

"Is that a ..."

"Zanpakuto," Hat'n'Clogs finished for him as he flourished the blade. "You don't need to be a Soul Reaper to have a Zanpakuto," he told Kage like it was obvious. "So are you just going to stand there gawking, or will we get started?" Kage readied himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that this man was going to be a slightly better fighter than he looked.

"Lets go," Kage said as he started moving towards the man.

"Alrighty then," Hat'n'Clogs replied with a grin, brandishing his sword lazily.

Kage started with a slash from right to left, testing the waters. Urahara easily blocked the blow, only holding the hilt of his sword with one hand. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed Kage's sword arm above his head and quickly jabbed the tip of the blade towards Kage's head. Barely weaving to the side, it past his ear by mere inches.

"You're not going to beat me if you don't give it your all, so don't waste my time messing about," the older man said snidely.

Without uttering a reply, Kage slashed again, but with much more conviction this time. It was easily deflected, but Kage quickly attacked again, refusing Hat'n'Clogs the opportunity to retaliate. He couldn't let up the onslaught or Urahara would get through again.

"I know what you're doing," he said to Kage with a smirk, all the while blocking his blows. "You're making up for your poor defense with a ferocious attack." Kage's eyes widened, but he didn't let up. How could this man analyse him so easily. "I scared you when I got by your sword so easily, so now you're trying to stop me from getting even a chance to counter." Kage still kept going, unperturbed.

"It's not going to work." Hat'n'Clogs slashed suddenly and horizontally, knocking Kage's blade from his hand just from the sheer force of the blow. And then Kage could feel something cold touching against his throat. Hat'n'Clogs stare bore into him, into the very core of his being.

"If you're going to take me for a fool, a novice," he started. "The next time we get into a position like this, I won't hesitate to end your life." And the worrying thing was, Kage believed him. He could feel it. All traces of his former jaunty attitude had vacated the man in front of him, leaving him cold and serious.

Kage scrambled away from the man to where his sword lay in the dirt. He picked it up quickly and grasped the hilt in his right hand.

"**An apology would be nice."**

"_A little sympathy would be nice. The man's a monster," _Kage retorted.

"**His sword thinks you're weak. She made fun of me for having such a weak master."**

"_And what witty remark did you have in reply to that?"_

"**I agreed." **Kage was taken aback by her answer. He stared at his sword. It was childish, he knew, but it did hurt, to be called weak.

"_I'll show you weak," _he grumbled at his blade, turning to face Urahara.

"You ready to start again?" the white haired man asked casually. Kage nodded, swallowing his fear.

"Remember now, don't hesitate, or I'll KILL you," he said in a sing-song voice, before he launched himself at Kage. And so it began. Parry, dodge, block, try to attack every now and then, just to be battered back. This man was so strong. How had he thought he could knock his hat off, let alone out play him. His skill with his sword was unparalleled, Kage couldn't even get a slight advantage. Every single attack he launched was mercilessly battered into the ground, before Hat'n'Clogs would zealously retaliate.

He was overwhelmed with fear. He wanted to run, to get away, to disappear. He wanted to hide himself away. The urge to run was so overwhelmingly consuming. So that's what he did.

His feet thumped against the orange, dusty ground, dodging between large boulders and hills. He could hear his clogged pursuer close behind him.

"**Weak." **Urahara was beside him.

"**Scared." **Urahara slashed at him, sending him flying sideways into the side of a nearby cliff.

"**Fearful." **Urahara was standing over him, sword pointed at his chest. Kage just wanted to get away, to hide, to disappear.

"**You want to disappear?" **Urahara brought back his arm. **"I'll show you." **And suddenly Kage heard it. Suddenly, he knew her name.

"Pull them into the Darkness," he whispered. "Kagehime."

There was a flash of bright, dark blue light and Kage's spiritual pressure skyrocketed. Urahara was forced back by the sudden force, landing on a boulder some ten metres away. The light cleared, to reveal Kage standing, dark blue mist swirling about him. His blade began to shift, growing longer and becoming a dark blue shade. The square guard shrunk and disappeared leaving nothing between the hand-and-a-half hilt, which was now wrapped in white bandages.

The source of the mist was revealed as the long blade of the sword. It seemed to peel off the blade in long strips, floating away into the surrounding air. He raised his head to look up at Kiskue. Kage's glare was serious, all of the fear had evaporated from his eyes.

Suddenly, he drew his sword across his body, and in a billow of mist he disappeared. Hat'n'Clog's eyebrows rose in surprise. And then there was a long blade sticking through his hat.

"You just had to knock it off, not skewer it," Hat'n'Clogs said in mock sadness, turning to face the young teen.

"I got kinda fuzzy on the details, somewhere in the middle of you trying to KILL ME!" With a flick of his blade, the hat slid off his sword and onto the dusty ground, creating a slight plume of orange dust.

"Don't get it dirty as well!" Urahara dove on the hat in despair and began furiously trying to clean the dirt off. Kage chuckled to himself at the antics of the older man, before turning on his heel.

"And you're going where?" asked Urahara, still positioned on his backside, ruined hat in hand.

"I've got someone to meet," he shouted back to the older man as he reached the ladder.

"You've got fifteen minutes to get to the cinema." Kage glanced over at the man, surprised at the white haired shopkeeper. "Be nice to Taylor." Kage just stared at the man, mouth agape.

"How do you..?"

"What? You know we've been keeping tabs on you," he stated like it was obvious. Shaking the feeling of intrusion off he continued up the ladder. He wondered if the cinema was under a fifteen minute run from here. Well, he was going to find out soon anyways.

* * *

Taylor was leaning up against the wall outside the cinema, tapping her foot. She burrowed into the furry lining of her brown winter jacket. She checked her watch impatiently. _9.10. _Kage was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. The movie started in five minutes, she hoped he hadn't forgot.

Kage had been acting odd since the 'event' at the mall, and Taylor was really intrigued as to what was going on with the dark haired teen. She still wasn't quite sure where they were in their 'relationship' for lack of a better word. They had nearly kissed twice, but had yet to actually go through with the act. It took 'taking it slow' to a whole new level. There were butterflies in her stomach as she waited outside the cinema, though the excitement was mixed with an undertone of worry. Kage had better hurry up.

She was pulled from her mode of contemplation by a shout from down the street. Turning her head, she saw a blur of black heading towards her. Kage screeched to a halt and bent over, breathing hard.

"Missed the bus... Ran ... Twenty-five minutes," she heard him gasp through heaving breaths. Laughing at the boy, she helped him upright.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and go get the tickets," she jibed as they walked into the cinema.

The pair slipped into screen 13 just as the movie was beginning. The lights were out so they ended up stumbling up the steps and into a random aisle, haphazardly trying to find their way in the semi-dusk. The screen was nigh on empty, so their laughs as they stumbled about wasn't accompanied by the usual chorus of 'shush' from a disgruntled audience. Seating themselves in the deep seats, they began to watch the film.

It was a generic rom-com that Taylor had insisted that they go to see. The American girl was absorbed in the movie, laughing loudly at the funny parts and tearing up slightly at the sad parts. Kage sat to her right, chuckling every now and then at a select few of the best jokes and absentmindedly munching on a shared box of caramel popcorn.

At some point, Taylors hand had landed on top of Kage's. It surprised her a little, causing her to jump unexpectedly in her seat. She saw Kage glance over slightly, but he pretended not to notice it to save her the embarrassment. Why was she acting like this? It's not like she was new to the whole dating thing. She had been with her fair share of boys back in America. But with Kage it was different. He made her feel like a little girl again. waking up on Christmas morning wondering if she'd gotten any presents. Working up a little courage she intertwined her fingers with Kage. Turning his head he gave her a little smile, causing the butterflies to go wild. How did this boy do it?

The movie came to a close and they got up to leave, hands still joined together. They exited the cinema and walked out into the cold night air. Their breath steamed in front of them, curling and rising up into the darkness.

"We walkin home?" Kage asked casually as they strolled down the street.

"Well if you're not too tired after your little run," she replied with a smile. Kage laughed and shook his head, squeezing her hand a little.

"Walkin it is then." The moon hung low in the sky illuminating their faces in its white light. They walked in a companionable silence, interlocked arms swinging gently with every step. Eventually, they reached Taylor's house and stopped outside.

"Eleven thirty," Kages stated, checking the time. "Did I get you home in time?" Taylor laughed and smiled at her feet.

"Just about. Which is a miracle considering your timekeeping." The pair laughed as they faced each other.

"So, will we take this up from where we left off?" Kage said cooly, leaning in.

"Well this was a long time coming." Taylor was still smiling when she kissed him. Finally. They could've stood there forever, but a light came on in the house. Kage quickly pulled away.

"Taylor? Is that you?" a man's voice shouted from the house.

"See you tomorrow," Kage said with a smile, before slipping away into the night.

"Taylor! Is that you?" Taylor turned her head quickly and started down the path to her house.

"Coming Dad, geez calm down."

* * *

Kage stepped backwards, slinking away into the shadows, back where he was comfortable.

"_What a night," _Kage thought with a smile as he strolled away towards home. He reflected over the events of the night, quite satisfied with the way things had played out.

"**I have to hand it to you, you didn't make a mess of it like I thought you would," **she said begrudgingly. Kage chuckled to himself, continuing on his way.

Something black flashed across his vision, darting up a nearby wall. What was it, a cat? Shrugging off a feeling of disturbance, he kept walking.

Suddenly, Kage felt a heavy presence nearby. There was a feral roar followed by a young girls scream. The teen broke into a run, moving towards the pressure. Rounding a corner, he found a Hollow leaning over a young girl with a large chain hanging out of her chest. Concentrating, Kage exited his body, not even bothering to catch his body. Drawing his zanpakuto, he ran towards the monster.

"Over here!" he shouted, trying to draw its attention. Turning, it swung a large claw at Kage. He blocked the attack easily, slicing its middle finger in two. It stumbled backwards with a roar of pain, clutching its hand. Taking advantage of its distraction, Kage rushed towards the monster, quickly disemboweling it. Its hulking form collapsed to the ground, before disintegrating in a black cloud of particles.

Kage sheathed his sword and made his way over to the distraught girl. She recoiled from him as he knelt down beside her.

"Hey, hey it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you," Kage said calmly to the shaking girl. Her face was glistening with tears and she looked to be scared of her own shadow, jumping at everything. She still seemed to shy away from Kage, which unnerved him slightly but he persevered.

"Look the monster's gone now, it's not gonna hurt you anymore," the teen placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, which seemed to help calm her.

Suddenly, Kage noticed something black moving in the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, he saw a black cat staring at the pair. The same from earlier?

"You need to perform Konso," a deep voice said. Kage looked around intently for the source of the voice. The cat continued to saunter towards them unperturbed by the odd situation. Kage shooed the cat away and returned to searching for the voice.

"Well that's not very polite," said the cat in the deep voice. Kage's jaw hit the floor. "Yes I'm a talking cat, it's amazing blah blah blah. Now hurry up and perform Konso." The cat sat down and began licking its paws clean. Kage just sat there staring at this cat in utter amazement.

"_A cat. A talking cat." _The cat looked up at the gawping boy, an expression of amusement upon its face, though Kage wasn't quite sure due to the fact he thought cats didn't have expressions.

"Don't tell me Kiskue didn't teach you about Konso?" Kage just continued to stare in shock.

"You're... A cat..." The look of amusement on its face change to annoyance as it made its way over to Kage.

"Yes I am now get over it and hurry up and perform Konso. You need to place the hilt of your zanpakuto on her forehead," the cat explained motioning towards his sheathed blade. Kage rigidly obeyed, unsheathing his sword. He was in complete shock by the fact that there was a talking cat, he would've probably done anything suggested to him at this moment. Mechanically, he lifted the hilt of his sword towards the girl. She shied away but his hand was firmly clamped on her shoulder, halting her escape. The bottom of the hilt began to glow as it came into contact with the young girls forehead. She began to glow as well, before she disintegrated into particles of blue.

Kage was abruptly snapped out of his trance, courtesy of a sharp pain in his posterior.

"AHHHHHHH!" he screamed as he jumped into the air clutching his behind. Eventually, after he stopped rolling about on the ground, Kage sat up to see the cat standing with the claws extended from its right paw.

"All finished drama-queen?" it asked in its signature deep voice.

"What was that for?" Kage asked incredulously.

"What do you think? You just sat about staring at me when you should have been helping that soul. And you were so crude when you were performing Konso! Could you not have been a little nicer?" the cat scolded the teen.

"I was a little shocked alright! It's not everyday you meet a talking cat," he grumbled as he got to his feet and sheathed his sword. "So what was that Konso think anyways?"

"It's a technique used by Soul Reapers to help lost souls reach the Soul Society. And try to be nicer when you use it next, that girl looked really scared." Kage nodded, listening attentively.

When the cat said nothing else, Kage looked up to see it disappearing into the shadows.

"Wait!" he called after the mysterious feline.

"Don't worry, I'll see you around. We'll be watching." And like that, the cat was gone. Kage let his shoulders slump, pondering what had just come to pass. Definitely a friend of Kiskue's as it had mentioned him when it was talking about Kage. Was this the person, or animal to be correct, that Hat'n'Clogs had gotten to watch him?

Pulling himself back into his body, he was greeted with a throbbing pain in the back of his cranium.

"_Must've fallen pretty hard," _Kage thought as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly.

His phone suddenly began to ring and he quickly fished it out of the deep pocket of his jeans.

"Hello?" he said uncertainly as he hadn't bothered to check the number.

"Kage! Where the hell are you?" Akira shouted down the phone. Kage gulped as he started jogging back towards the house.

"Listen, I can explain," he said trying to fix the situation.

"I don't want an explanation young man! I want you at home right now!" And then the line went dead. And Kage began to sprint. Why did this always happen to him?

* * *

Kage opened the door to see Taylor standing there, absentmindedly twining her hair around her index finger. She looked up with a smile as Kage closed the door.

"Hey," she said happily as he walked up to her.

"Hey," he said quietly as he pulled her into a kiss. When they finally broke off, Kage took her hand and led her down the path.

"What was that for?" she asked with a giggle.

"Just making up for last night, since we were interrupted," he replied cheekily. They laughed, before the conversation turned to other more conventional things, like school, their friends etcetera.

They met Rokuro at the usual spot a few minutes later. He just began to shake his head in disbelief when he saw the two of them holding hands.

"To be honest, I don't know why I'm surprised. I knew it was coming," the sandy haired teen stated as the pair reached him.

"Jealous much?" Kage asked jokingly, sticking his tongue out at his best friend. The group laughed and continued on their way.

* * *

"GOOD MORNING CLASS" said , slamming her books down on her desk. The room went silent, the pupils trying to avoid a now acceptable, book to the jaw, or as the students had christened it 'facebook'. "I hope you all had a nice weekend." Rokuro just couldn't help himself and shouted out "Kage did!" which resulted in a hard back slamming into his face.

"Worth it.." he gasped as he slid down in the seat. Kage and Taylor both began to blush, staring into their desks. Word had spread quickly, courtesy of a certain hyper girl.

"Moving on," continued, hardly breaking her stride. "We have another new student today, she's just moved from Tokyo, so be nice." The door of the class opened and in stepped a dark skinned woman with purple hair. Every one of the boy's mouths fell wide open as she took her place at the top of the class.

"Hi everyone, my name is Yorouichi Shihoin. I'm sixteen years old and just moved her from Tokyo. I hope we can all be friends." Bowing, she headed down through the rows of desks and sat in the seat in front of Kage. Turning to Kage, she stuck out her hand for him to shake. He slowly grasped her delicate hand and shook it gently.

"I told you I'd see you around," she whispered with a wink before letting go of his hand. All of a sudden, Kage recognised her spiritual pressure. Shaking his head in disbelief, h sat back in his chair.

"**Well, at least today's going to be interesting."**

* * *

**A/N: Hello people of the internet! Long time no see :D I am sorry this chapter has taken so long, I've been pretty pressed for time this week. I just got back from being injured this week so I had training and matches after school, so I had less time in the evenings for writing. But I'm trying my best to keep posting so please keep up the good support. I'd also like to thank RedRangerBelt and narutofreak10 for their reviews. The support is really appreciated. And so please, anyone who is following the story and who hasn't reviewed, please do :) Well that's about it, enjoy!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Storm

"Did you see that new student? What's her name, Yorouichi? She looks more like she's in college rather than a freshman in highschool!" Rokuro exclaimed with a large grin. The rest of the guys laughed heartily at the other boy. Kage however, remained silent and continued absentmindedly munching on his sandwich, pondering recent events.

She definitely had the same spiritual pressure as that cat, but that had been a cat. And she was a person. Not to mention the cat was a man, so even if she could somehow transform into a cat, how did that work. Kage shook his head in incredulously. How was he able to so calmly except everything about souls, Hollows, Soul Reapers etcetera, but he couldn't wrap his head around a transforming cat lady.

Suddenly, he noticed the object of his contemplation exiting the cafeteria, and he hastily finished his sandwich and shouldered his bag.

"Where are you going?" Rayden asked inquisitively as he began to walk away.

"Toilet," Kage replied curtly, before continuing in pursuit of the purple haired woman.

Taylor noticed a flash of purple in the corner of her eye leaving the cafeteria. It was Yorouichi Shihoin, talk of the school since this morning. She was beautiful, Taylor reflected as she recalled her dark skin and golden eyes. Every boy in the school was captivated by her, much to the envy of every girl. She'd walk down a hall and every eye would be on her, male or female. The boys would just stand there gawping (occasionally there would be one that drooled a little), while the girls would shoot daggers behind Yorouichi's back. Taylor had to admit, she was quite jealous. As hard as she tried not to care, and not to detest the girl for it, a little bit of dislike always managed to taint her thoughts. But she also had some sympathy for the purple haired beauty. She herself had been in quite a similar situation not too long ago, though without half as much controversy.

* * *

She was pulled from her reflection as she saw Kage pass through the door Yorouichi had just left through. He was walking at pace, like he was trying to catch up with someone. Was he going after Yorouichi? Taylor recalled the exchange the two had had this morning in class. Taylor was sure she'd seen Yorouichi wink at Kage. Did they know each other? Kage hadn't mentioned it. She shook herself. She was getting worked up over nothing, she was probably just imagining things.

* * *

Kage found the purple haired woman leaning over a railing along a long walkway, observing the passers by in the yard below. Kage dropped his back at his feet and proceeded to lean on the railing beside her.

"Hey," she said smiling at him. "Kage isn't it?"

"Cut the crap, why the hell are you in my school?" Kage said suddenly, but calmly as he continued to observe the yard below. Yorouichi's mouth opened wide in mock astonishment and she slanted her eyebrows with hurt.

"Well that's no way to treat a lady!" she answered, her voice rife with playful annoyance. "And as for what I'm doing here, I just moved from Tokyo and am attending school. It's the law for minors ya know." She winked at him, just annoying him further.

"Let me rephrase that question," Kage said as slowly and as calmly as possible. "I know who you are, so what are you doing here?" The corners of her mouth dipped slightly in sham irritation.

"Looks like the jig is up."

"There never was a jig," Kage said sharply, stopping her from proceeding any further. "Now explain." The playfulness vanished from her face. Returning to surveying the yard below, she began to speak.

"Kiskue had me watching you, and we met while I was in my cat form, which is why you probably noticed my spiritual pressure was the same as the cats. I can only imagine the confusion that must've caused for you."

"But the cat was a man?" Kage asked incredulously. A small bit of the playfulness returned to her face with this question.

"I never said I was a man, you just made that assumption. Moving on, Kiskue realised that you would only be able to train with him once, at most twice a week. So he got me to hang around, help you out and maybe teach you a couple things." Kage mulled over the statements for a few seconds before replying.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't need you help." Kage picked up his bag and turned on his heel. Suddenly, he felt a firm grip on his right shoulder and looked down to see a slender, dark skinned hand squeezing it.

"You don't need my help? Do you remember correctly how you ended up meeting Kiskue? You nearly died. What happens if another group of Hollows that size arrives and we don't get there in time to save you? What then?" She released her iron-grip on his shoulder as he turned to look at the purple haired woman. Kage folded his arms, thinking through his options.

Kage wasn't stupid, he knew he was lucky to be alive. There had just been too many of the Hollows for him to fight off on his own. So far, these people had done nothing to make him distrust them, hell, they had saved his life.

"**I think you can trust her. I don't sense any ulterior motives." **Kage had to agree with her, that this woman didn't seem to be untrustworthy. So he made his decision.

"Alright, you can train me." Her expression returned to her originally cheeky grin as she heard this.

"You won't regret this," Yorouichi replied happily.

"Hey, Yorouichi!" A deep voice shouted from behind the pair. Kage and Yorouichi turned to see a tall orange haired man walking towards them. He had his satchel slung over his shoulder one handedly, looking extremely relaxed.

"Hey Ichigo!" Yorouichi called back, obviously familiar with this newcomer. Kage ran his hand nervously through his dark hair. Who was this guy? He seemed familiar, but Kage couldn't place him.

"So Yorouichi, what brings you here?" he asked conversationally as he reached the pair. Yorouichi simply motioned towards Kage with a nod of her head. At this, Ichigo seemed to take a step back to take him in.

"Oh yeah, I remember this kid. So Kiskue's got you looking after him? Didn't think babysitting was your thing Yorouichi," he ribbed lightheartedly.

"I thought a change of scenery would be nice." The two friends chuckled at the retort with familiarity. Kage chose this brief interlude to interject.

"You know Hat'n'Clogs as well?" The pair suddenly went quiet, staring at the younger boy, before bursting into hysterical laughter. Kage was completely stunned at their reaction. What was so funny about the question?

"**You're blushing." **Kage blushed even harder at this statment, feeling his cheeks getting warmer. He was missing something, he really just wasn't sure what.

Eventually, the two stopped laughing at had a moment to explain to the confused teen.

"I'm sorry..." Ichigo gasped between deep breaths. "It's just.. everyone in... our line of work in Karakura.. knows Kiskue Urahara.." By this time the two had caught their breath and straightened up, regaining a certain degree of composure.

"Oh, so you're a Soul Reaper then?"

"Substitute Soul Reaper," the orange haired boy corrected. "I'm like you, I'm human but with Soul Reaper powers." Kage nodded understandingly, then it hit him like a train hitting a sizeable dear, or perhaps an elk.

"You're the guy that saved me and my sister that time!"

"And the time at the mall," Yorouichi added, hands on hips.

"I guess I have a lot to thank you for," Kage realised, with a shake of his head.

"Hey don't worry about it, it's my job." Kage looked up at the tall man who was giving Ichigo a small smile, though it looked quite forced.

"Anyways, I gotta get to class. See you guys later." And so he strode off, without so much as a second glance.

"Woah, you just got a smile from Ichigo Kurosaki," Yorouichi said with genuine amazement. "Trust me, they're few and far between. What do we have now, maths?"

* * *

Taylor watched as Kage entered the class with Yorouichi. A stab of jealousy ran through her as she watched them walk beside each other. They made their way towards where Taylor was seated, Kage sitting beside her while Yorouichi took the seat directly behind Kage.

"Nice lunch?" Kage asked with a smile, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Taylor turned to the boy and tried her best to give a genuine smile.

"Yup, it was good." She wasn't going to let herself get worked up over something as silly as this. Kage was too nice, he wouldn't cheat on her. Though she had only known him a few weeks, could she be certain about him? And would it even be cheating? It wasn't like they'd made it official or anything. No, she shook herself from the depressive train of thought. She wasn't going to let this consume her. Kage wouldn't do anything like that. Right?

* * *

Dark, grey clouds hung in the sky above Karakura town as Taylor and Kage made their way out of school and towards their homes. There was a heavy atmosphere which seemed to claw at a persons skin, while the strong wind tore at any exposed part of a person that they'd forgotten to cover in a heavy jacket or scarf.

For Taylor, that was everything. She had forgotten her jacket this morning, and so was forced to cling tightly to Kage, leeching off his warmth. Kage however, had not forgotten his jacket and had a green scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face. All that was visible of the teen was his too piercing blue eyes and the tip of his silver scar which protruded over the lip of the scarf.

"You know, the gentlemanly thing to do would be to give me your jacket," Taylor stated as her teeth chattered. Kage turned his head slightly to look at the shivering girl.

"Yes, but if I do, you won't learn your lesson!" he teased, pulling her into a hug. "And then you'll keep forgetting your jacket and I'll keep having to give you mine." Taylor scowled at the ground, but didn't pull away from the boy. Then it started to rain.

Taylor looked up at the blue eyes, pulling of her best puppy dog stare.

Kage's resolve melted like paper in the rain. "Fine," he said grudgingly as he unzipped the jacket. "Just this once."

"Thank you Kage!" she said, her mood immediately improving as she shrugged into the jacket and pulled the hood over her head. Kage however, just grumbled something inaudible and buried his hands in his pockets.

He was soaked through in mere moments. His dark hair became flat and it hung down over his eyes, dripping onto his cheek. The wind tore through him, as if he wasn't even there. He could feel his hands growing numb through a combination of the cold rain and the unforgiving wind. Kage was, to say the least, in a bad mood.

The pair trudged onwards into the teeth of the gale. Every few metres a particularly strong gust would hit them and they'd be knocked backwards a few steps. Eventually though, after about double the time it usually takes, they reached Kage's house.

"Do you wanna step inside for a bit? Until this calms down a bit?" Kage said loudly so as to be heard over the roaring wind.

"What did you say?" Taylor shouted back, a quizzical look on her face.

"INSIDE!" he shouted over a flurry of battering wind, motioning towards the house with his now purple hands. Taylor nodded in understanding before they hurried towards the house. Kage reached the door, and fumbled with the keys for a few seconds, his hands nearly beyond any precise movements. He managed to get the right one in the lock and unlocked the door. The pair stumbled inside and Kage quickly slammed the door shut. The wind and rain could still be heard battering the house, but it was a lot quieter.

"I am wet. Very wet in fact," Kage said in a slightly stunned manner as he ran his hand through his sopping black hair.

"Well thank you for your jacket, very gentlemanly. And it only took a little persuasion and my best puppy dog face." She slid out of the oversized jacket and handed it to the sopping boy.

"I hate you," he said with a smile, before pulling her into a kiss. Taylor sharply pulled away however, rubbing herself where Kage hand touched her.

"You're all wet!" she shouted as she backed away from him. Kage just laughed and strolled by, turning the T.V on as he walked through the sitting room.

"I'm gonna get a towel and get changed, do you want one to dry off?" he asked as he made his way towards the stairs.

"Yeah that would be great," she answered as Kage disappeared from view.

Taylor collapsed down onto the nearby couch, and started to watch the T.V. A well dressed woman stood in front of a map of Japan, pointing at different areas of the country.

"... weather warning has been issued. All residents in the greater Karakura area have been advised to stay inside until the storm passes unless absolutely necessary. It is extremely dangerous to go outside at this time. And that's the weather for this evening, over to the news desk." The shot changed from the woman to a man and woman sitting behind a desk holding papers. Taylor stopped paying attention and looked up as Kage entered the room.

He had changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and a warm hoodie. He threw her a soft towel as he dried his hair with his own.

"What was that about?" he asked, motioning towards the T.V.

"Oh, a weather warning saying to stay inside until the storm passes." Kage nodded pensively at this, continuing to dry his hair.

"Looks like you'll have to stay here a while," he said with a grin, sitting down beside her. "My dad's at work, my mum's meeting a friend and my sisters at a friends house. So it looks like we'll have the house to ourselves for a bit."

"Perfect," Taylor said, leaning it and kissing Kage.

"You smell damp," Kage said with a laugh, before kissing her back.

* * *

"You know they've contacted him," Juushiro Ukitake stated as he sipped his tea.

"It was only a matter of time I suppose," Akira replied, nodding as she did. The hotel lobby was bustling with noise as people flooded in from outside, trying to escape the elements. Akira realised she might have to rent a room and stay the night, so she'd have to contact Sakura's friends mother to see if she could stay over. And she should probably let Kage know what she's doing as well.

"And I guess you've figured out that he'll come for him soon. As soon as Kage gets strong enough for him to be noticed, he'll come." Akira continued to nod, her cup now empty.

"Well all we can do is trust in Kage to make the right decision when the time comes. That he won't let his father pull him into the darkness."

* * *

**A/N: Ok I know it's been a long time, and I know this chapter isn't very long at all but I've been finding it very hard to find the time to write. I've been squeezing bits in here and there, but with study for the summer exams, training and matches, it's been extremely difficult. But I promise you guys, that as soon as I get my summer holidays chapters will be coming as regularly as possible. And thanks to everyone who has read the whole story and everyone who has reviewed. It means alot to me that people find the story interesting. So that's all from me, see you guys in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10: Flashstep

"_Ow," _Kage thought to himself, his mind clouded. _"My neck is really sore." _Blearily, he forced his eyes open to find himself still sitting on the couch, his head lolling awkwardly to the right, the source of the pain. He lifted his head, rubbing the sore spot with his right hand. Hid left hand, he noted, was gone. It felt as though it had been severed from his body just below his shoulder. Looking to his left, he found it was stuck under a mound of blonde hair, tanned skin, dressed in a Karakura High School uniform. Taylor was curled in a tight ball, knees pulled into her body while her hands and head rested on Kage's chest. Her long blonde hair fell over her face, concealing her features from Kage's gaze.

Grabbing a few pillows with his right hand, Kage gently slipped them between himself and Taylor, slowly sliding his left arm from beneath the girl. He smoothly slipped away from the sleeping girl, leaving her with a mound of pillows which Kage hoped would suffice as apt replacement for himself. Hopping up as quietly as possible from the couch, he made his way to the kitchen.

Ryuu must have stayed at work or with a friend, and Akira and Sakura hadn't come home yet, so the house was quiet. He turned on the radio as he entered the kitchen, turning the dial to the news channel.

"... multiple roads are closed today due to fallen telephone poles and trees. There have been power cuts in multiple parts of the city. All schools in the greater Karakura area have been asked to remain closed to keep the amount of people on the roads to a minimum. Emergency services have been sent to clear any rubble, but it could take up until midday to late afternoon."

Kage smiled to himself happily as he pulled a bowl and a box of cereal out. No school, no parents, nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was going to be a nice day.

Sitting down at the island in the centre of the kitchen, he switched the radio to the local music channel. He tapped his foot rhythmically on the stool as he munched on the cereal.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump from the sitting room. A few moments later, a bedraggled looking Taylor appeared in the doorway, a pout on her face.

"Good morning sunshine," Kage said playfully, smirking at the moody girl.

"I rolled off the couch," she answered sulkily, taking a seat at the island beside Kage. Kage kissed her gently, cheering her up almost immediately.

"Your hairs all messy," Kage said suddenly, causing Taylor to return to her previous pout. Laughing heartily, he slid off the stool to put his bowl in the dishwasher.

"So do you want breakfast?" he asked as he came back over.

"What is there?" she asked, fiddling with her hair.

"Well, I'm no chef, so its basically toast or some cereal," Kage stated matter-o-factly.

"Your finest cereal then," Taylor answered playfully. Kage quickly got it ready for her, music playing in the background.

"So do your parents know where you are?" he asked as he brought the bowl over.

"Well I texted my dad that I was at a friends house, and that I was alright. I'd say he wasn't overly happy about it but he'll live." As she finished, the doorbell started to ring impatiently.

"What the hell is Rokuro doing calling?" Kage asked to no one in particular as he made his way to the door.

"Alright, alright I'm coming!" The doorbell still had not stopped ringing, much to Kage's annoyance. Kage was going to have to talk to the boy about his doorbell antics, they had gotten much worse.

Angrily pulling the door open, he ready himself to shout at Rokuro. He was, however, greeted by the sight of one Yorouichi Shihoin leaning on the door frame, one finger pressed to the doorbell.

"Yorouichi, what are you doin here?" he stammered, glancing back towards the kitchen.

Taylor finished the cereal and proceeded to tidy up after herself. She didn't want to seem like an ungrateful guest, so she put away her bowl and clear away the crumbs on the island. With nothing else to do, she made her way out of the kitchen, intending to say hello to Rokuro. She didn't expect to see Yorouichi standing in the door way, chatting nonchalantly with her boyfriend.

"_My boyfriend? When did I become the possessive type? When this bitch started flirting with my boyfriend, that's when." _The thought had come out of nowhere, surprising herself with the venom with which the voice in her head had spoke in. _"No. I'm not going to become the obsessive girlfriend that hates every girl that even looks at Kage." _Steeling herself, she made her way down the hall.

"... not right now Yoruichi, now is not a good time!" Taylor overheard Kage say as she approached. He was speaking urgently but quietly, almost as if he didn't want to be overheard.

"Hey Yoruichi," Taylor said with all the cheeriness she could muster, effectively announcing her presence, as she plastered a broad grin on to her face. Yorouichi and Kage turned to Taylor as she went to stand beside Kage. Kage's expression was unreadable, but Yoruichi made a large 'O' with her mouth, before breaking into a large grin.

"Oh, so that's why you can't come training right now Kage. You should've just said you were busy," the tanned woman said with a cheeky grin coupled with a wink.

"No, no, it's not like tha-"

"Oh yeah, sure. Taylor just stayed the night, and nothing happened right?" she said sarcastically. Kage and Taylors faces turned bright red, staring the floor. "So don't worry, I'll leave you to alone to do 'nothing'." Kage and Taylor were lost for words, and just stood in the house gobsmacked as they watched Yoruichi walk away.

"Well... That was interesting.." Kage said, slightly shell shocked. He swung the door closed and turned to Taylor.

"So, what do you want to do?" Kage asked as they walked back down the hall. Taylor's face split into a small grin.

* * *

"Nothing," she said with a smile as she pushed him into the sitting room.

"I really should get home Kage, my parent's will be worried sick," Taylor said as she stood up, dusting herself off.

"Awww," Kage said making puppy dog eyes up at the girl. Her hair was messy and her uniform creased a million different ways, but she still somehow managed to look beautiful.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night, I'll see you tomorrow." She made her way out of the room, giving Kage a brief smile as she went.

"_God she's amazing," _Kage thought in disbelief as he heard the door slam shut. _"How did I pull her again?" _

"**Beats me," **Kagehime said sarcastically. **"What the poor girl sees in you, I have no idea."**

"_Hello to you too," _Kage replied, matching her sarcasm. Suddenly the doorbell rang, pulling Kage from the argument with his Zanpakuto. He quickly made his way to the door to find none other than Yoruichi Shihoin standing there waiting for him.

"Well you two sure took a while. I thought she was never gonna leave," she said with a grin. "You sure did do a lot of 'nothing,'" Yoruichi said with a cheeky wink. Kage felt his face turning red as he started to blush. Despite the amount of time Taylor and Kage had spent together, they hadn't actually done anything except make out.

"C'mon, we've got work to do," she said, turning swiftly and motioning for him to follow. Kage jogged off down the path after her, not wanting to be left behind.

"Where are we going anyways?" Kage asked when he caught up to her.

"Training of course," she replied curtly. "We've got to get you some proper practice, especially with you nearly getting killed the last time you fought a hollow."

"Hey, no fair, there was way too many at the mall!"

"Any self respecting SoulReaper with the same level spiritual pressure as you would've easily handled them, your problem is you don't have enough skill," she snapped, cutting him off. "You may have achieved shikai, but that was only because Kiskue would've killed you if you hadn't. And on top of that, we're still not really sure what your shikai even does! So we've gotta get some proper training done!" she said as the duo entered a large park. Kage had no reply to the statement, and the rest of the walk was in silence, Yoruichi striding briskly ahead.

They eventually reached a clearing in the centre of the park, shielded from view from the rest of the world. Before Kage had time to ask what they were going to be doing, Yoruichi's hand was on his face, then pushing him out of his body. Kage flopped onto the soft grass, landing beside his limp body.

"A bit of warning would be nice next time," he stated, as he picked himself up from the ground now clad in a black shihakusho. "So what are we doing today?" the boy asked as he unsheathed Kagehime.

"Put it away, we're not going to be doing any swordplay today," Yoruichi said as she herself exited her body. She was now clad in a pair of black pants with an orange top, the light breeze tossing about her purple hair. Kage reluctantly sheathed the blade, as he had been looking forward to trying his shikai again.

"So what are we doing?" Kage asked, exasperated.

"Today, I'll be teaching you how to do a flash-step on shunpo. It's a Soul Reaper technique used to move at high speed," Yoruichi explained, gesturing vaguely with her hands.

"So how do you do it?" Kage asked inquisitively. He liked the sound of this.

"Like this," Yoruichi said with a mischievous smile, before she disappeared. Suddenly Kage felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Yoruichi standing behind him, a smug grin on her face.

"How did you..?" Kage mumbled, the question dying in his throat before he could get it out, too shocked to finish the sentence. Yoruichi laughed at his reaction, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

"The best way to acquire flash-step is to first learn to track another's movements, then perform the technique yourself. So I'm going to try tag you, and you have to try dodge or avoid me," she explained to Kage. "You ready?" Kage nodded resolutely.

"Let's go," he said, backing away slightly. Then she was gone, and Kage felt a sharp jab below his ribs. He looked down, surprised to see that Yoruichi had already tagged him once already.

"You're going to have to do better than that Kage," she said smugly, before disappearing and reappearing a few metres away. "Ready?" Kage merely grunted in acknowledgement, as he was concentrating very hard on studying the woman's movements.

He watched for any sign, any indication of when she was about to move. And then he saw it, a slight blur and then she was gone. Kage blocked below his ribs, but the hit came from behind this time and Kage was knocked flat onto his face.

"Better," Yoruichi stated as she returned to her spot a few meters away. "But you're still not tracking my movements properly. You're gonna have to do better than that." Kage just grumbled in response as he picked himself up from the ground. Taking his position, he nodded that he was ready again. With a barely audible 'whoosh' Yoruichi disappeared again. Kage saw more of the movement now seeing how she traveled just above the grass. Kage noticed she was moving to his right before he lost track of her movement as she picked up speed, so he blocked to the right. But the blow was high and Kage received a palm to the forehead for his efforts.

"Nearly there, you were able to track me a little bit there weren't you?" Yoruichi asked rhetorically, a genuinely happy smile on her face. "Ready for another round?" she asked, the same smug demeanour returning to her. Kage nodded, before preparing himself.

The situation was akin to a showdown from a western, each party watching the other intently. And then Yoruichi made her move, launching herself into the air so she was just above Kage's head height. He watched her float through the air, as if in slow motion, tracking her progress with new-found skill. He saw her pass over his head and he turned to see her drop behind his back. She swung her palm forward to hit Kage, but he blocked the blow with ease. Yoruichi jumped back, not expecting to have her blow blocked so easily. Her shocked expression was suddenly cracked however, by a wide grin.

"Well done Kage, you've got it now. You accomplished that part of the training faster than Ichigo as well," she added as an afterthought.

"You trained Ichigo?" Kage inquired, scratching his head.

"Yes I did in fact, though that was awhile ago," she stated pensively. "Anyways, onto the next part of the training." She flash-stepped up onto a sturdy branch about 4 metres off the ground. "C'mon, climb up already," she taunted as she dangled her feet over the side. Kage sighed, before reluctantly scaling the large tree. Once kage was up on the branch with Yoruichi she began to explain the next task.

"All you have to do, is get from her," she pointed at the branch. "To here," she finished as she appeared on another branch ten metres away.

"So how do I do that exactly," Kage asked, scratching his head in a confused manner. even though he could track flash-step now, the concept still completely baffled him.

"You'll have to figure it out yourself," she replied, much to Kage's annoyance. The tanned woman proceeded to lie down on the branch, leaning against the bark of the tree, making it clear she wasn't going to be giving Kage anymore advice. With a sigh, Kage started mulling over what to do.

He envisioned himself moving the way Yoruichi had, passing from one branch to the other, but that had no effect. Next he tried focusing his spiritual pressure into his feet, but that only served to make his toes tingle like he had pins and needles.

'_**Oh c'mon, this is pathetic,' **_said a harsh voice in his head. The intrusion shocked Kage so much, he nearly fell off the tree branch. The voice was different, a man's voice, definitely not Kagehime's. It also had a strange layered quality to it, as if there were two people speaking, one slightly behind the other.

'_Who are you?' _Kage asked nervously. This new presence in his head was unnerving him.

'_**Who am I? You don't know? I guess you wouldn't, you were too young to remember, too young to see. But I saw it all. I watched, and then I understood who I was. So I know who I am, which in a roundabout way means you know I am. But you haven't realised who I am yet. And where would the fun be in just telling you, huh?' **_the new voice said maniacally. _**'But enough of this, I've lost track of myself. Here's how to get to the branch.' **_And suddenly Kage knew how to do it. It was like he'd known all along. It was almost instinctive.

'_Thank you?' _he thought uncertaintly. But the voice was gone. Shaking himself, he readied himself for the crossing.

With a 'boom' noise, Kage disappeared, reappearing on the opposite branch. Yoruichi sat bolt upright, an expression akin to horror on her face.

"Hey, it's not that much of a shock that I figured out how to do it is it?" Kage asked lightheartedly. Yoruichi's expression shifted after this statement to a broad smile.

"No no, it just startled me, I think I nodded off a bit," she said as she continued smiling widely. Something about the smile was off though, almost as if it was forced, but Kage glanced over this detail, too pleased with himself to care.

"Could you do it a few more times?" Yoruichi asked as she hopped to her feet.

"Sure," Kage said with a smile, before disappearing, accompanied by the same 'boom' sound. He moved back and forth between the two branches a few times before Yoruichi motioned him to stop.

"Ok, looks like you've got it. We'll finish there for today. I'll call around again if we're still off school tomorrow, ok?" Yoruichi said as the pair hopped to the ground, making their way towards their respective bodies.

"Sounds good," Kage answered as he stood up off the ground, dusting off his creased clothes. As he walked out of the clearing, though happy with his achievement, Kage was unnerved by the voice in his head. It definitely wasn't Kagehime, without a doubt. So what was it? Shaking himself, he rid himself of the eerie thoughts. a problem for another time.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, it's been awhile since I've last updated, and I know you guys are probably expecting a really long chapter, or a really interesting one, but alas that's not the case. But I do have a valid excuse!(this feels like I'm trying to explain to a teacher why I don't have my homework done) So when i started writing this chapter, my exams were coming up and I had to stop writing for two weeks so i could study for them. Afterwards when I got off for my summer holidays, I had a lot of training and matches, so I was much too tired to do any writing, and then the week after that my cousin came to stay so I couldn't do any then. But now I'm in Italy and I've decided to start writing again! Yay! I bet you're all so excited! No? Oh, okay then... But anyways moving on. In a few chapters time I will probably begin updating and editing the older chapters, so this chapter will be improved then. I decided though I should just get this chapter out, as it was dragging on. So I apologies for the substandard quality of this chapter, but bare with me, please. Also, I'm thinking of starting a beta so anyone interested in partaking, just send me a private message. So goodbye for now!**


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